Learning to Trust
by Redvines1595
Summary: "You look ridiculous." "Go fuck yourself." Q rolled his eyes as Bond went back to scrolling through his phone, lips pursed dramatically as he leaned back against the wall. Q Branch was nearly empty except for the two of them and a couple of the minions. "Only if you plan on joining me." Written in collaboration w/winggirl6577
1. Chapter 1

"You look ridiculous."

"Go fuck yourself."

Q rolled his eyes as Bond went back to scrolling through his phone, lips pursed dramatically as he leaned back against the wall. Q Branch was nearly empty except for the two of them and a couple of the minions, the perpetual whirring of machinery filling the air. "Only if you plan on joining me," the Quartermaster replied without a second thought.

The agent smirked a bit, glancing up from his phone to raise a brow at him. "Want to take a lunch break? Or I could help you clean off your desk again…"

Q scoffed as his delicate fingers continued to fly across the keyboard. "Oh, please, 007. That's unprofessional."

Bond chuckled darkly as he leaned in close to whisper in the younger man's ear. "You didn't seem to mind last week."

A blush creeped up Q's neck and to his cheeks, his lips parting as he let out a shaky breath. He shook his head a bit as he cleared his throat. "That was after hours."

"It's never really after hours in Q Branch." Bond chuckled again and pulled back, adjusting his suit jacket as he stood up straight once again.

"It is when I'm the only one here," Q replied, sitting up straight and resuming his typing.

"We weren't alone at first," Bond smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Has that become an order for your minions? When I come in the door, it's time for their break?"

Q bit his lip. "I suppose you could say they… Have a certain code amongst themselves."

"Well, you're lucky," Bond grinned. "It's the only thing that allows your little excuse."

Q huffed, his fingers faltering over the keyboards for a moment as he mumbled. "Well, it wouldn't be an issue if you'd just take me on a real date for once…"

Bond blinked in surprise, just barely managing to hear the Quartermaster's words. "Maybe I would if you weren't always busy when I have time to. You know I'm busy on missions most of the time."

Q shook his head with a quiet sigh, hardly believing they were finally having this conversation. "You know I'd make time for you, but you've never had the balls to ask."

"I have asked," Bond replied, His brows furrowed. "You were never paying attention."

The Quartermaster scoffed at this. "I'm always paying attention!"

"Yes, to your experiments, your minions, or even other agents flirting with you" the agent said with a sigh. "You've never noticed me asking you..."

"Well, then it sounds just like every other thing you've ever said to me," He replied with a roll of his eyes.

"How do you want me to say it, then?" Bond asked in exasperation, running his fingers through his hair. "Should I write it out in computer code? Should I spell it out on a Scrabble board?"

Q's fingers paused over the keyboard as he let out a quiet sigh, turning in his chair to look up at the agent. "Just… Say it like you mean it. Like pursuing me isn't just some game of yours."

"I…" Bond stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "It could never be a game with you. Will you… Would you go on a date… with me?" He bit his lip softly, waiting for the reply.

Q stared back up at him for a moment. "I, um…" He cleared his throat. "Yes. Yes, I'd quite like that."

Bond sucked in a breath, relief washing over him as a smile formed on his face. "I could pick you up tonight at six? I know a wonderful Indian restaurant nearby."

Q nodded as he bit his lip softly, trying to hold back a smile. He didn't want to seem too eager. "O-Okay…"

The agent looked up at Q through his lashes with a grin. "I'll see you then." He turned abruptly and walked out of Q's office, stumbling as his foot caught on the door. Q chuckled softly as he watched him go before turning back to his work.

The next few hours passed rather slowly for the two. Q continued to work, typing away at his computer as he anxiously awaited the arrival of six o'clock. His fingers froze suddenly over the keys as he stared at the screen. "Shit," he murmured, running his fingers through his mess of curls before folding his hands beneath his chin. He continued to stare at the screen, reading over the code he had just typed out. Something wasn't right. He removed his glasses and cleaned the lenses with the sleeve of his cardigan before replacing them on his face and looking at the screen once again. He turned to the rubber duck that sat on his desk. "What did I do wrong?"

Meanwhile, Bond returned to his flat, locking the door behind him and walking past the kitchen. He stopped suddenly with furrowed brows, retracing his steps to find Alec Trevelyan rummaging through his refrigerator. He rolled his eyes as 006 closed the door, a beer in his hand. "The landlord kick you out again?" Bond asked him.

"No one appreciates modern art," Trevelyan replied as he uncapped the beer and took a swig of the cool drink.

Bond scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "Well, don't get too comfortable. I've got a date tonight."

"Oh?" Trevelyan raised a brow at him, setting the bottle on the counter. "Who's the lucky lady?" Bond just shook his head and walked away, heading back to the bedroom. "Is it someone I know?"

"Yes."

"Moneypenny?"

"No."

"R?"

"No," Bond replied as he entered his bedroom, 006 following close behind. He removed his suit jacket before going to the adjoining bathroom to splash some water on his face.

"Come on, James. Who is it?."

"No," he said again as he pat his face dry with a towel. He grunted as he was suddenly grabbed from behind, moving to counteract the attack.

"Just tell me who it is," Trevelyan said as he kept Bond in a choke hold.

007 struggled to get out of his hold, twisting his body in an attempt to dislodge the other agent's foothold. "Fine! Fine, it's with Q. Just… Let me go!"

Trevelyan released him from his grip, a grin on his face. "The Quartermaster? James, I didn't know you were a fucking poof."

"You're a prick." Bond pushed his way past him to go back to the bedroom, scowling.

"Oh, come on, James!" Trevelyan called back as he followed him again. "You know I mean it in the best way possible. But you're right. I'm sorry. Just took me by surprise, is all."

Bond sighed as he stood in front of his closet, staring at the clothes that hung there. He slowly began to search through the shirts for something to wear. His brows furrowed. Nothing was quite right.

"So, where will you be taking our young Quartermaster this evening?" Trevelyan asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"A restaurant," Bond replied, his fingers moving to unbutton his shirt.

"Ah, how vague of you. I know when I'm not invited, James."

"That's never seemed to stop you in the past." He removed his shirt, tossing it onto the bed before pulling a different one off its hanger. "I'm not going to let you ruin this for me, Alec."

Trevelyan furrowed his brows at the other agent. "Wow… You really like him."

Bond sighed softly as he pulled the new shirt on, buttoning it. "I trust him." He licked his lips before going back to the bathroom to comb his hair

"I won't get in the way," Trevelyan called back to him. "If anyone deserves this, it's you."

Bond couldn't help the hint of a smile that graced his lips. He looked himself over in the mirror before giving himself a nod of approval. He went back through to the bedroom and grabbed his jacket, pulling it on. "Don't know when I'll be back. Try not to be here when I am."

Trevelyan chuckled softly. "Go get 'im, James." Bond gave him a casual salute before heading out of the flat and making his way back to Q Branch.


	2. Chapter 2

Q was still staring at the little yellow duck on his desk when Bond stepped into his office and cleared his throat, trying to get the younger man's attention. "Hey, did you lose track of time?" He asked with a smile.

Q Looked up at the agent, smiling back at him a bit sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry." He stood and turned his back to him in an attempt to hide his blush. He grabbed his bag off the floor and began to pack up his things before slinging it over his shoulder.

When he was ready, Bond led him out of Q Branch. "The restaurant is actually quite close to here, if you wanted to walk?"

Q looked up at him with a small smile and nodded his head. "A-Alright… Walking's fine with me. Especially after sitting at my desk all day."

Bond gave him the side-eye. "It's also quite close to my flat… If you wanted a walk afterwards as well."

Q looked down at his feet as they walked, biting his lip softly. "I don't go home with people on the first date, 007."

Bond smiled softly and nodded his head. "Okay, then… Can I still walk you back to your car at the end of the night?"

"I didn't drive, but I might let you walk me home?" *He looked up at him with a raised brow, smiling softly.

"It would be my pleasure," the agent replied as they arrived at the restaurant. He reached for the door and held it open for Q, who smiled and nodded his head in thanks as he walked through. Bond followed closely, raising a hand to the host as he led Q back to an empty table and pulled a chair out for him, smirking a bit at the blush that formed on his cheeks. "I must admit, I'm a bit of a regular here." Bond sat down across from him, studying his face and seeing how nervous the younger man was. He tried to find a comfortable subject to help him relax. "You mentioned that you had cats, right? What're their names?"

Q bit back a smile as he shook his head at him, managing to relax a bit. "You'll laugh."

"Please tell me anyways?" Bond asked, leaning in a bit closer with a smile.

The Quartermaster sighed softly, glancing down before meeting the agent's eyes again. "Archimedes and Shadowfax."

"Ah, well, all we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us. Isn't that right?" He replied with a grin.

Q looked at him incredulously, a brow raised. "You? You're a Tolkien fan?"

Bond glanced down at his hands, almost blushing. "I may have read some of his books while travelling. You mentioned him before and I was curious."

"You…" He smiled at him a bit. "You remembered that?"

"Of course I did." The agent replied with a shrug of his shoulders, looking back up at him with a smile. "You were quite passionate about it."

Q smiled softly as he reached over and took his hand. However, he pulled it back quickly, awkwardly, once he had realized what he had done. Bond kept steady eye contact with him as he reached his hand across the table and took Q's once again, tugging gently to bring it to his lips. He smirked a bit as he watched the Quartermaster's face turn a lovely shade of pink.

Bond saw the waiter coming towards them out of his peripherals and lowered their hands back to the table. He doesn't take his eyes off Q's as he orders their drinks. "Your best red wine, if you would."

"No." Q shook his head, his gaze unwavering. "He'll have a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred. And I'll have a glass of brandy."

The agent's mouth fell open, his pupils dilating at the shift in control. He swallowed thickly and nodded the waiter away as he watched a small smirk form on Q's face. "I seem to have mistaken your drink of choice," Bond said, his voice a bit strained. "But you seem to paying attention to mine."

"Well, I am in your ear constantly," the Quartermaster replied with a shrug before looking him over. "You alright, there, 007?"

Bond tugged at his collar, then undid the first button of his shirt, drawing Q's eyes to it. "Fine… Just a bit warm."

Q bit his lip softly as the waiter returned with their drinks, setting them down on the table. "Sirs, are you ready to place your orders?"

Bond broke their gaze to look up at the waiter, slightly irritated. "I'll have the chicken masala, hot," he said as their eyes connected again.

"I'll have the shrimp curry," Q said next, never taking his eyes off the agent. The waiter disappears quickly as Bond raises his glass to his lips, tilting his head back a bit as he swallowed. Q lifted his own glass as well, taking a small sip before setting it back down. "You really should cut back, you know."

Bond frowned slightly. "This? This is nothing. I won't get drunk from this."

"Can you even get drunk anymore?" Q asked him with a raised brow.

The agent leaned back in his seat, looking away from him. "That's a ridiculous question."

Q watched him with furrowed brows. "Bond?" He frowned as the agent continued to look away from him. Q gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Did I say something wrong?"

Bond exhaled slowly as he stared down at his drink. "It's not… It's just...You're always watching me on missions. I thought you would have noticed."

"Noticed what?" He asked softly. "I… I listen to you, mostly. I can't always find cameras."

"That makes sense," Bond nodded slowly. "I never drink anymore. I still get the drinks so people are comfortable approaching me, but… I've recently stopped. The only time I drink now is at home, which may even be more pathetic than my old habits… I thought you had noticed."

Q shook his head with a bit of a frown. "I… I'm sorry, Bond. I should have known."

"It's alright. It's not like I made it obvious. Otherwise, it would be known by the ones I'm trying to get information from," Bond smiled a bit and sat up, turning fully toward him. "I wouldn't be a very effective agent, would I?"

Q smiled softly as their food was set down in front of them. He thanked the waiter and reluctantly let go of Bond's hand. They both started on their food, Bond enjoying the heat and feeling a flush work up from his neck, slowly taking over his cheeks as he glanced at Q, who licked his lips. Bond waved the waiter over once again. "A water for me. Anything for you?"

Q shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm fine." He smiled a bit as the waiter went to fetch some water.

Bond leaned in slowly, catching Q's eyes. "Are you sure you don't want anything to cool down a bit?" He sat back with a grin as the waiter set the glass in front of him. Bond raised the glass to his lips and slowly sipped the cool liquid, licking his lips salaciously. "Enjoying your food?"

Q watched the agent, inhaling sharply as he glanced at his lips before clearing his throat. "Hm, yes. Quite."

Bond grinned and pushed his food around a bit more before sitting back. "Do you want dessert or are you ready to leave when you're done?"

"I'm quite full, actually." Q smiled a bit sheepishly as he glanced down at his half-eaten plate of food.

"Maybe you'd have more of an appetite if you ate on a regular basis, hmm?" Bond grinned teasingly at him as he waved down the waiter. "Check, please."

Q shrugged a bit self-consciously. "I'd hoped you hadn't noticed that…"

"Of course I noticed. You think I bring everyone cups of tea and Chinese food when I come to visit? Sometimes I don't think you know you're not eating, you're so absorbed in your work." Q blushed a bit as the waiter returned with the check, placing it on the table. Bond slipped a few bills inside before handing it back to him and grinning across the table at Q. "Are you ready?"

Q nodded and stood up clumsily, bumping the table. Bond stepped forward into his space to steady him. "Are you okay?" He asked as he slid his hand down Q's arm to entwine their fingers together.

He nodded his head, his eyes lingering over Bond's body before meeting his eyes. "Y-Yeah… I'm fine."

Bond stayed close a moment longer before taking a step back, tugging Q's hand gently. "Let's go. Don't want to keep you out too late, genius." He walked with him outside, letting him lead the way to his home. "Did you enjoy dinner? I… I did. A lot. It was nice talking."

"I did." Q nodded with a smile, looking up at him as they walked. "I really did. Thank you."

"I… was wondering…" Bond looked straight ahead before speaking all in a rush. "Would you like to do it again sometime?"

Q grinned at that. "Yeah. I would. I'd love to."

The agent turned his head away as he tried to control his grin. "We could go for dinner again? Or… I could cook for you?"

"You cook?" Q raised a brow at him. "It's hard to think of you doing something so… domestic."

"I have to do something when I'm off a job. And cooking is… calming. Very regimented. Something easy to follow if one's mind is… unsteady. I was taught by someone I could call a friend when I was much younger."

Q nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "I would love for you to cook for me… Do something normal for once."

Bond bumped his hip into Q's. "What? You don't think our lives are normal?" He smiled up at the night sky. "We're perfectly normal."

Q let out a quiet sigh and followed Bond's gaze. "Honestly, I'd consider this to be strange for us."

"We could make it normal." He squeezed his hand and looked at him, watching the way his skin seemed to glow in the faint light.

Q looked down at the sidewalk with a small smile and nodded. "Yeah… Maybe we could."

Grinning, Bond shifted closer to him as they walked. "Would you like to meet me after work tomorrow? I can go to the shops before then."

"As long as you're not sent away," Q nodded. "M has been watching Russia lately."

"He told me while I was in today that I should still have the next two days off to heal from-" He cut off suddenly. "Anyways, you know that can change in an instant."

Q stopped abruptly, pulling the agent back towards him. He looked up at him with furrowed brows. "Heal from what? How bad is it?"

Bond ran his fingers through his hair with a shrug. "It's nothing. Just a mishap in the field. You know how it is." He grinned.

"James…" Q watched him worriedly. "That's what you always say."

The agent shifted his gaze away for a second, his breath catching at the sound of his name. "That's because it's never anything bad. Barely enough for them to keep me down, I think."

"Fine," Q said. "If you won't tell me, you'll just have to show me when we get to my flat."

Bond grinned over at him. "Oh, so I have to have an injury to get into your flat, then? Maybe I'm feeling a bit lightheaded, too."

"Oh, shut up," Q replied with a roll of his eyes. "I just want to make sure you're alright."

He let his grin soften. "I'll show you if it makes you feel better, but you have to promise not to take advantage of me in my weakened state." He smirked.

"Believe me, it won't be an issue." He smirked back before continuing to lead him down the street.

Bond looked at the passing scenery, mumbling something. "So, how do you get to work, then, if you live so far away?"

"The tube, usually," Q answered with a shrug. "Sometimes a cab. Otherwise, Eve picks me up."

The agent looked down at him. "Moneypenny? I didn't know you two were close. Do you live near each other?"

"Yeah," Q nodded with a small smile. "She's two blocks away from me."

"Really? That's… Nice. Convenient." Bond nodded with a smile.

"It is." Q nods and stops, pointing up at the door before fumbling with his keys. "This is me."

Bond slowly turned to face him. "Did you still want to get a look at my battle scars, or…?" He stepped back a bit, uncertain.

Q let out a quiet sigh as he finally found the right key and unlocked the door. "You swear you're alright?"

Bond inhaled sharply. "There's, ah, actually one thing you could check for me, actually. It's just, I bit my lip and wanted to make sure I didn't reopen anything."

Q looked away with a shake of his head, smiling to himself. "Bond, if you wanted me to kiss you, you could have just asked."

The agent looked at him earnestly. "Then, may I have a kiss?"

Q grinned and leaned forward to gently press his lips to Bond's. Bond turned his head a bit, leaning into the kiss more and then drawing back, giving him the opportunity to stop it if he wanted. The Quartermaster pecked his lips once more before pulling back, clearing his throat. "Right, well, I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Bond opened his eyes with a lazy smile. "Tomorrow," he said, his voice deeper and a bit husky.

Q smiled back softly and opened the door, stepping inside a bit. "Goodnight, Bond."

"Goodnight, Q." He watched as the door closed, then turned and began walking back to his flat, smiling. Q leaned back against the door for a moment, smiling before going up to his flat.

Bond returned to his flat, flicking the lights on as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He went back to the bedroom and removed his jacket, tossing it aside before collapsing on the bed. He looked at his clock on the bedside table and furrowed his brows when he saw a blue box next to it. He took the note that was on top of it, reading it. "Hope your date with our lovely Quartermaster went well. Be safe. -006"

He rolled his eyes and reached out to the box, turning it to read the label. "Condoms. Of course… Prick." He sighed softly and rolled onto his side before letting himself drift off.


	3. Chapter 3

Bond stood in an aisle of the Tesco near his flat, staring at the soup packets in front of him. "You should really just go for a lighter option, like salad or an alfredo pasta," prattled the shop girl, who somehow managed to learn that he was preparing for a date and made it her business to educate him. He sighed and began to unload the ingredients he had picked up for an admittedly heavy meal.

He finally made it back to his flat with supplies enough for a meal "sure to guarantee anyone's heart".Glancing around his flat, he decided that maybe a bit of cleaning wouldn't hurt before the evening came around. He put all of the groceries away before beginning to do just that.

After he had finished cleaning up, Bond began preparing the meal. He put the salad and dressing he had made into the refrigerator before checking that the hot plate was turned off. He'd only be away for twenty minutes or so; it would keep just fine. He glanced down at his clothes, making sure that he didn't have any food splatter on him, and then left.

Meanwhile, Q sat at his desk, typing away rapidly, not taking his eyes off the screen. He knew that if he kept himself busy, he wouldn't be checking the time constantly. He was excited about his second date with the agent. Q only looked up from his screen when M entered his office. They spoke for a while, discussing Bond's latest mission and Q's many other projects. Q glanced at the clock as M continued to go on and on. He was really hoping that he wouldn't still be there when Bond came to pick him up.

Bond stopped outside of Q Branch, seeing a flurry of motion inside. It looked like Q's minions were all out of sorts about something and, a second later, a bemused-looking M was pushed out along with a group of them, all chattering about something. He stepped in cautiously, finding Q standing in the doorway of his office."What was that all about?"

Q Shrugged his shoulders and scratched the back of his head. "No idea. Maybe they saw you coming and ran?"

Bond rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "Well, are you ready to go, then?" He asked. "I'm glad nothing came up. I have dinner all ready."

He smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah. Just let me grab my things." He went back into his office to pack up his bag before slinging it over his shoulder.

Bond stood patiently in the doorway as he waited for him before leading him out of Q Branch. "I hope you like alfredo. I also made salad."

"Sounds great," Q smiled at him as he followed him out, not surprised to find some of his minions hiding outside the door.

Bond smirked as they slipped around them, but said nothing. He turned right as they exited the building, leading Q a few blocks away before stopping in front of a brownstone building. "Well, this is the place I rent," he said with a shrug as he opened the door and led him upstairs.

Q followed him up the stairs and to the flat, looking around after Bond let him inside. The agent noticed his glances and turned away, starting to bring the food out and placing the pasta back on low heat. "I tried to clean a bit before you got here," he said as he pulled a chair out for him, offering him something to drink.

The Quartermaster thanked him as he took a seat. "No, it looks fine," he said, looking up at him with a soft smile. "Could I just have a glass of water?"

"As you wish," Bond replied as he set out the salad and dressing he had made before taking a glass from the cupboard and filled it. "How was work today?"

"Productive," Q nodded. "I spoke to M earlier. I'm guessing you'll be sent out tomorrow."

Bond attempted to stop his hand from flinching to his side and managed to control it enough to make it look like he was grabbing the table as he sat. "Ah, good. I was getting cooped up here after so long."

Q narrowed his eyes at him a bit, but didn't say anything about the injury. "You feel cooped up after two days at home?"

Bond smirked as he fixed his salad. "'Normal life' never suited me. I've always craved a bit more than that." He glanced at him, grinning as Q nodded and got his own salad as well. "So, last night we got distracted a bit. Could you tell me more about your cats? Did you have animals when you were young or were the cats an act of rebellion when you left home?"

"Actually, I've had Shadowfax since I was fifteen," Q replied with a shrug of his shoulders as he began to eat.

Bond tried to find a good way to phrase his next question, but just shrugged as he brought the pasta back to the table. "And you had family still, at that point?"

He nodded. "Still do… My parents are in Perth. My sister moved to Dublin with her boyfriend." Q shrugged a bit. "Haven't seen them since I started with MI6…"

"How old were you when you started there, anyways? You look only about sixteen and a bit public school. It can't have been long ago."

Q shrugged his shoulders and took another bite. "I was twenty-one."

Bond stared hard at him for a moment. "Your parents must be so proud," he said monotonously. "Wait, how old are you now, then?!"

Q furrowed his brows at the slightly bitter tone, but chose to ignore it, clearing his throat, "I'm twenty-seven."

The agent's eyes widened. "I guess i've been at odds with myself on that. You're so young, but you're so good at what you do. I guess I just thought you were still very young, but started early, or something along those lines. You're nearly half my age…"

"I know," Q nodded, smiling a bit with a shrug of his shoulders. "I read your file."

Bond rolled his eyes. "Figures… Are you done with the salad?" He tooked their plates to the sink and returned with bigger dinner plates. "What was it like, what /is/ it like, having a family you're still close to? Do they know what you do? Are you worried about them?"

Q sighed softly, staring down at his plate for a moment. "I miss them…" He said quietly, running his fingers through his dark mess of curls. "I had to cut off all contact from them. I couldn't put them at risk."

Bond felt terrible for bringing up the bad memories. "Well, at least you know they're safe." He reached over and patted his hand awkwardly.

Q shrugged his shoulders a bit and nodded. "Yeah…"

"Well, what do you think of the food?" Bond asked, changing the subject with a soft chuckle. "I was actually told off by the shop girl for the meal I was going to make. She said it was too heavy and that light pasta was the way to go."

Q chuckled in response to that, thankful for the change in subject. "Well, I suppose it;s a good thing you listened to her."

"I'm quite glad I did. I admit, I was getting carried away. She and I actually have quite a report. I don't know how we began talking, but she has become sort of a sounding board for my cooking decisions." He chuckled. "I don't know how to discourage her."

"Well, I, for one, am glad that you've found a sense of normalcy," Q smiled. "Even if it is just in going to the grocery store."

"I don't know if I'd call it normalcy, but I admit, it's nice. Sometimes. Having someone to talk to that isn't a part of this, who doesn't know anything about me or what I've done."

Q pushed his plate away, nodding with a smile. "Yeah, I bet. Sometimes it's just nice having someone to talk to in general."

Bond gathered the plates and dishes, bringing them all over to the counter by the sink. He quickly put away the leftovers and got ready to wash. Q got up and went over to him. "Want some help?" He asked, standing close enough to him that they were barely touching.

The agent paused before he spoke, looking him up and down, letting his gaze drag over Q's neck. He watched his pulse point flutter before meeting his gaze once again. "You don't mind rinsing, do you?"

Q bit his lip softly as he watched Bond look him over. "I, um… I don't mind."

They both rolled up their sleeves, Bond washing a dish before handing it over to Q to be dried. They finished the dishes quickly this way and Bond went to get them each a drink after they had finished, leading Q over to the couch. "We can watch a film if you want? Or just talk, or… Whatever you want."

Q followed him closely, raising his arms up above his head as he stretched, the hem of his shirt raising just enough to reveal the dark contrast of tattoos on the pale skin of his back. "I don't mind. Whatever you feel like."

Bond's mouth dropped open, his pupils dilating as he traced the intricate circuitry as far up as Q's shirt. "Q…" He said, his voice low, and stepped closer to him, settling his hands on the younger man's hips. The agent slowly rubbed circles into his skin as he trailed his hands up, lifting Q's shirt to reveal more of the tattoo.

"Hm?" Q looked back at him over his shoulder. "What… What are you doing?" He asked with a slight smile as the agent lifted his shirt.

"You said whatever I feel like? What if I feel like kissing every inch of you while you tell me all about this tattoo?"

"O-Oh…" He let out a shaky breath. "I… I… O-Okay."

Bond pushed him forward until he was kneeling on the couch, sliding in behind him. He brought his face close to Q's back as he moved down, softly exhaling and sending shivers up and down Q's spine. Bond spread his fingers around Q's waist and started unbuttoning his cardigan. "Oh, Q…" He growled as he finally brought his lips to Q's skin, pressing open-mouthed kisses to his shoulder. "Why so many layers?"

Q continued to shiver at his touch as he helped him unbutton his shirt, shrugging it off along his with cardigan. "This is what I always wear."

Bond watched in appreciation as more of Q's skin, and the tattoo that he could now see covered his entire back, was revealed. "How old were you when you got this done?"

"I started it when I was eighteen. I add onto it a bit every year." He replied with a shrug as he laid down on his stomach.

Bond carefully straddled the back of Q's thighs, looking over the beauty of the whole thing. He, then, started trailing his fingers along Q's sides, tracing the pattern of the circuitry.

Q bit his lip at the feeling of Bond's hands on him. "You know… I think you're the first person to really see them."

Bond slipped his hands under Q's shoulders, carefully lowering himself down to rest his forearms on the couch as he kissed around Q's scapula and up to his neck. "A true shame. Why do you hide them?" He closed his eyes, thinking of how Q would keep his shirt on during their previous adrenaline-fueled encounters.

"I…" Q let out a soft sigh at the feeling of Bond's lips on his skin. "I, um… I don't really like people seeing my body."

Bond slowed his kisses, pressing his forehead to Q's spine. "Q…" He breathed out. "Have I… I'm not pushing you into anything you don't want, am I?"

Q bit his lip and shook his head. "No. I… I feel… Comfortable… With you."

Bond inhaled deeply, relief coursing through him. "Come here, please. I want to see your face." He helped the Quartermaster turn over before leaning in to kiss him, sliding one hand into his curls as the other traced his jaw and down his neck. Q leaned into the kiss, moving his hand to rest at the base of the agent's neck. Bond mouthed along Q's jaw, nibbling softly as he got to the spot below his ear, not quite hard enough to leave a mark. "You're gorgeous, Q. Incredible."

Q bit his lip as a blush creeped up his face. He wrapped his arms around Bond tightly and buried his face in his neck. They let their bodies relax as Bond pulled him closer. Q sat up to curl against him more, occasionally pressing light kisses to Bond's neck. Bond, in turn, kissed up Q's jaw to peck his lips lightly before pulling back. "Okay?"

Q nodded his head with a small smile. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm okay. It's just...This is all really new for me. Dating…"

Bond smiled, bringing their foreheads together. "It may surprise you, but all I know of relationships is theory. I've never actually been in many relationships either. I've been taught and continuously learn more about relationships because of work. But to actually feel, to allow myself to be with another, this is new."

Q gently ran his fingers through Bond's hair, a small smile forming on his lips. "I, um… I haven't dated anyone since before uni," he replied with a shrug.

Bond relaxed into a smile. "Well, you haven't exactly had time to meet someone new, have you?" He pulled back to look into the Quartermaster's eyes.

Q shrugged again, biting his lip softly. "I met you, didn't I?"

The agent leaned in to slowly kiss him, sucking on his bottom lip and nipping at it gently before releasing it with a grin. "You did meet me. But maybe I'm more trouble than I'm worth?"

"I think I'll be the judge of that," Q smirked as his phone began to ring. He sighed and pulled away to answer it. "Q… Yeah... Yes, sir. I'll get right on it. I'll be there in twenty minutes." He hung up the phone and sighed softly, looking up at Bond. "Looks like you'll be going to Belize tomorrow."

The agent's face straightens as he pulls away a bit, sitting back on the couch. "Time to go, then? You're lucky you're so nearby."

Q nodded and reached for his shirt, pulling it on and beginning to button it up. "And you are going to stay here and get some sleep. God knows you won't get any while you're working."

Bond sighed and reached down for Q's cardigan, helping him slip it on over his shirt. "I'll try and hurry back, then, dear," he smirked.

Q rolled his eyes and leaned forward to kiss him gently. "And don't forget to come see me before you leave."

Bond leaned into the kiss, smiling as they parted. "Of course."

He pecked his lips once more before standing, grabbing his bag. "I'll see you in the morning."

Bond opened the door for him, leading him down to the main door. "You'll be there all night, then?"

"Yeah, I've got to get everything ready for you. I'll try to get in a couple hours of sleep, though."

"Okay, then. I'll see you in the morning." Bond smiled softly and leaned in to peck him on the cheek. He watched him leave before going back up to his flat, humming softly to himself. He locked everything up and stripped down to his boxers before slipping under the covers, automatically grasping the gun underneath his pillow. He shut his eyes and drifted into a light sleep, still ready to be awake in a second.


	4. Chapter 4

After a quick shower and a brisk walk, Bond arrived at MI6, showing briefly in M's office to gather his files. He headed down to Q Branch to get his equipment. He made his way to Q's office and leaned against the doorframe with a small smile, watching as Q stared blankly at a pen on his desk. "Did I finally get that exploding pen I've been asking for?"

Q blinked tiredly and looked up at him. It was obvious that he hadn't gotten any sleep that night. "Hm? Oh. No." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes before replacing them on his face, standing and leading Bond over to the equipment. They stood next to each other, backs to the minions as Q handed him his gun and earpiece, his fingers lightly brushing against Bond's.

Bond took the items with a smirk. "Anything fun for me to play with?"

Q handed him an analog watch. "Pull out the pin, turn it to one o'clock, push the pin back in. Don't get caught in the blast."

"Ah, this does sound like a lot of fun," he grinned. "You spoil me. How am I getting there?"

"Flight leaves in an hour. First class." He yawned and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"That sounds lovely. And it also sounds like it's time for you to get some sleep. I take it you didn't get any last night?"

"Or the night before," Q sighed softly. "I'll sleep while you're on the plane so I won't miss anything."

Bond glanced around, making sure that no one important was around, and then tugged Q into a hug. "Go on. Get some sleep. The minions will wake you when you're needed." He kissed the top of his head and pulled back.

Q's face was bright red as he nodded. "Yeah, just… Be careful, James." He bit his lip before whispering. "Come back to me."

"I'll be as careful as I can." He smiled softly, stepping in to gently stroke Q's curls. He didn't respond to the second thing he had said. Q bit his lip softly as he glanced over at the minions, making sure they were all busying themselves, before leaning up to press his lips to Bond's. The agent deepened the kiss, twisting his fingers into the curls at the back of Q's neck before breaking away, panting softly. "I have to go… Go get some sleep."

Q nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Go. Before M finds out you're still here."

Bond stole one more kiss. "Sleep." He grabbed his files and walked away, stopping in the doorway to glance back at him. "See you later."

Q rubbed his eyes with a quiet sigh, turning around to find the minions all staring at him. "Get back to work," he told them as he went back to his office. He closed the door behind him and sat down on the couch, pulling out his phone to set the alarm for when Bond's plane would arrive. He laid down, pulling his cardigan around himself before quickly drifting off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Q awoke with his alarm and groaned softly as he sat up, adjusting his glasses on his face. He stood with a yawn and went to sit at his desk, putting on his headset. "Bond?"

The agent had just arrived the airport, tucking his book, a Tolkien novel, into his carry on bag before exiting the plane. He cleared his throat to let Q know that he had heard him and made his way through customs before getting a taxi to take him to his hotel. He smiled at the hotel receptionist as he entered the lobby, finally pressing on his head of the line as he made his way into the elevator. "Just checked in. I have a few hours to get ready before the event."

"How was the flight?" Q asked with a small smile as he brought up the feed from the hotel's security cameras. "There you are."

Bond glanced up at the camera with a grin before stepping out of the elevator. "It was enlightening. I quite enjoyed _The Hobbit_."

Q smiled at that. "Yeah? I hated the ending. It was absolutely terrible."

Bond winced. "Ah, yes. Well, death is a part of life and all."

"Just don't make it a part of yours," Q whispered to himself before raising his voice again. "So, have you found yourself a date, yet?"

"I'll be making contact with someone at the event. Otherwise, I'll be going stag tonight." He unlocked the door of his room and walked in, systematically checking the room for bugs. "I just hope no one sneaks in again. It's always so annoying."

Q chuckled softly at him. "Oh, I'm sure." He looked up with a small smile as M entered his office, speaking to him about some gadget malfunctions.

"Are you two having fun without me?" Bond asked as he got himself ready for the evening and headed back downstairs for the event. He paid silent attention to the conversation going on so far away from him, listening with more interest to that than the inane chatter in the crowds around him. A few in the crowds caught his eye, bodyguards and the people close to his target, but nothing interesting happened. He took a seat at the bar, asking the bartender to give him water instead of liquor in his martini glass.

Q smiled softly to himself when he heard Bond's drink order, watching M as he left his office. "I'm proud of you, you know? With the whole not drinking thing."

Bond smiled, looking down at his fake vodka martini, and was about to respond when a voice cut through his thoughts. "You're a million miles away, bright eyes. Who are you thinking of tonight?" He turned to the side sharply to see his target, a beautiful red-haired woman in a glittering silver dress.

The agent let his body melt into a look of ease and relaxation as he smirked. "How could I have thoughts of anyone else when someone so beautiful is standing right in front of me?" He hid his irritation. He should have been paying more attention.

Q rolled his eyes at the line and muttered, "Flatterer." He focused the camera on the bar, looking out for any threats.

Bond continued to chat up his target, smiling and at ease, all up until she begged for another drink and he ordered another round. He nearly choked on his first sip. It was real alcohol and a shock to his palate, having not expected it. He accidentally took a huge gulp and then, suddenly, his glass was seemingly always full. He was too busy trying to stay calm that he easily slipped back into his old habits, despite the fact that he knew his body can't handle that anymore. He excuses himself to the bathroom, hissing to Q as soon as he's out of hearing. "Q, something's wrong. The bartender was giving me alcohol and I drank too much. I don't know what's going wrong, but I'm getting out of here." He stepped into the bathroom, looking for a way out, but, instead, he grows dizzy and tired. He stumbled into a wall and slid down to the floor, exhaustion creeping over him in heavy waves. "Q, I think they've drugged me… I'm so tired…"

Q tried not to panic, his fingers freezing over his keyboard. This was definitely not something they had planned for. "Okay. Okay… Just stay calm. Can you… Can you try to vomit it up or something? Oh, god…" He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Okay. Stay calm. Just… Just hang in there, James. You're going to be okay." The Quartermaster didn't know what to do. There was nothing he could really do from so far away. "Just stay with me."

Bond kept his eyes open, but didn't speak back as he saw forms approaching him. "Oh, look at you keeping those bright eyes open so well for me. Even after all those pretty drinks I gave you? I can't believe your agency thought I would have forgotten or, god forbid, forgiven them for what they did to me. Well, I've got you now. That's all that matters."

Q furrowed his brows as he listened to her words and began to do some more research on her. "Okay, James. I need you to keep her talking for me. I need more information. We could send someone in to get you out of there."

Bond forced himself to be more alert. "Why do you need me? Where are you taking me?"

He must have at least been partially understood because the woman laughed. "You don't need to know any of that. Another thing you won't need is that pesky tracker!" Bond was suddenly pinned by many hands as pain lanced through him. He grit his teeth, grunting as his tracker was dug out of his thigh.

"Fucking hell…" Q muttered as the tracker went out. He paged M as he continued to try to find any connections between the woman and MI6. "Come on, James. I need you to keep her talking so we can get you home safe."

Bond gasped in breaths for a few seconds more. "Why… Why are you doing this?" He groaned deeply as pressure was put on his wound. "Why do- Ah!" He was pulled up to stand between two men. He barely kept his eyes open, but could blearily see his target. "Why me?"

She stared at him flatly. "I think you talk too much." Bond's head jerked to the side as she slapped him. "Oh? What's this?" She pulled out his earbud.

"No!" Bond gasped in horror.

"Oh, dear," she tutted. "You are in trouble…"

"No," Q shook his head as M entered his office. "No no no no no. Bond… James, answer me. James! Oh god. This can't be happening." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, making eye contact with M. "I-I've lost him. He… He's gone. I… Oh, god. I think I'm going to be sick." He bent over the bin and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep himself from hyperventilating.


	6. Chapter 6

Q was a mess. He had never lost an agent before and, of course, it had to be Bond. The first day that the agent was missing, Q was just trying not to vomit everywhere. The second, he was completely silent, in shock. After that, he got back to work, sitting at his computer, day and night, searching everywhere for any sign that Bond was alive.

Despite the fact that Trevelyan had been sent out after him, Q never left his desk. M and Moneypenny had tried to get him to go home to get some rest, but he wouldn't have any of it. He had to bring Bond home safely. Q spent hours searching every security camera in Belize, still not finding any sign of him. He let out a heavy sigh of exasperation and frustration, not sure what to do anymore.

Bond had awoken several times to find himself in the same room. They didn't seem to be torturing him, just keeping him foggy and drugged. No one seemed to be around except for the ones who fed him. The fifth time he had woken, he had stopped eating and started shoving the food into a hole near his bed. By the eighth time he woke, things were clearer and he started to notice his surroundings.

He was in a small room, a cell with one window. He didn't know what was outside, but he could easily slip out. Hearing footsteps coming, he pretended to be in the same semi-awake stage he had been every other time they came to him. The agent compliantly took the food and set the tray nicely down on the bed. He went to the window, looking it over before pushing against it, finding it locked. He moved to the bed and grabbed the pillow, removing the pillowcase and wrapping it around his fist. Listening carefully for several seconds, he made sure no one was coming before smashing the window. Carefully pushing the glass out of the way so it wouldn't fall into his cell and make unnecessary noise, Bond slipped out the window and ran, not chancing a glance back.

He felt like it was too easy as he snuck off the grounds, but he didn't stop, only breaking when he found a source of water. The agent continued forward, no idea where he was, until he felt like he couldn't move any further. His muscles were cramping and the wound in his thigh burned. He had to find a place to rest. He felt like he was going to pass out, struggling to stay upright, but he stumbled on.

When he came upon a building, Bond didn't understand what he was seeing at first. He finally realized that he was standing at the edge of a small town and that it was the middle of the night, everyone asleep. He carefully made his way back into the forest. He would stay out of the town for the night, then find food and water in the morning.

Bond awoke to the sound of Spanish voices nearby. He opened his eyes and closed them immediately, pain lancing through him before settling into a full body ache. He sat up, trying not to make any noise as he got his bearings. He could hear people not far away, but it sounded like children, so he ignored it, focusing on standing up. He heard a shout and turned to see a group of children staring at him. He knelt down onto one knee as they came a bit closer to him. "¿Dõnde estoy?"

The kids grouped behind the oldest one, who called back, "Usted está en Guatemala!"

Bond blinked in confusion. How the hell did he get there? "¿Me puedes ayudar? ¿Comida y agua?" The oldest turns to the rest, speaking so quickly that he couldn't keep track of what he was saying, and a few kids ran off. "¿Dõnde?" He gestured to the ones who ran off.

"Estamos ayudando," they replied with a smile. Bond smiled back.

Three days later, Bond sat on a plane, resting his head back against the headrest as they were taxied into Heathrow Airport. He didn't know if MI6 knew he was alive; he'd been gone for two weeks. He didn't know how Q was doing.

The agent sighed as he stood, moving with the flow of passengers. He made his way out of the airport and to the street, getting a taxi to take him back to his flat. He was at least going to shower and take care of the cut his thigh before reporting in.

An hour later, he stood in front of Q Branch, the first place he'd been since he snuck back into Headquarters. But he didn't know what to do now. He only had to take one more step through the doors and Q would see him. But… He had failed. He had ruined the mission, had his cover blown and been unable to handle the situation. Bond took a step back, but it drew the eyes of a minion, who saw him through the window and dropped what she was doing. He could see her mouth something and followed her gaze to Q, who looked up slowly, his eyes shifting to Bond's. He watched as Q stood slowly before taking a deep breath as he stepped forward.

Q was living on coffee and biscuits at that point. He had barely slept in the two weeks that Bond had been missing and hadn't left Q Branch in that time either. He looked like hell and felt even worse.

Q stared at Bond now, letting out a shaky breath as his hands gripped his desk tightly in an attempt to steady himself. He was exhausted and it showed. He bit his lip harshly as he tried to hold back his emotions.

Bond walked forward until he was standing right in front of him, forcing a small smile for him. "Q… I came back to you."

Q inhaled sharply and closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. "Go… Go to medical," He said, his voice cracking.

"It's been taken care of. I'm fine." He took a step closer.

"Just go to fucking medical!" Q shouted at him before letting out a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his hair as he fought back tears.

Bond stepped back, frowning. "Q... I…" His expression flattened into a blank look and his eyes shifted slightly, looking into the distance behind Q. His voice was void of any intonation when he spoke next. "My apologies." He turned away, walking out before turning the opposite direction of medical, intending to visit M in his office.

"That's not medical!" Q called out to him as he sat down in his chair, rubbing his forehead.

The agent flinched and changed directions, sighing as his thigh twinged. He made his way to medical instead, pulling out the new phone he had picked up on the way in. He inputted M's number and sent him a text: [Funny story. Not dead. Meet me in medical.]

Q sat as his desk for a while longer, trying to compose himself. Taking a deep breath, he stood on shaky legs and made his way to medical, not surprised to find M there with Bond, who looked up at him as he entered. The agent didn't stop in his report as he dropped his eyes back down to his bandaged leg. Q bit his lip gently as he looked Bond over, calculating the extent of his injuries as he listened to the end of his report.

Bond finished his report, grabbing his trousers off the bedside table and standing to pull them on carefully as M excused himself from the room. Bond quickly grabbed his shirt and pulled it on, covering his scarred back from view and starting on the buttons.

Q licked his lips as he took a step forward and reached a hand out to him, rubbing his arm gently. "A-Are you okay?"

Bond froze at his touch, closing his eyes as he turned so Q's hand slid off him. "I… I'm sorry. For ruining the mission."

Q frowned and shook his head. "No, you didn't. None of us saw it coming. You were just doing your job." He sighed softly. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm fine," he said, looking down and away from him. "They'll have to implant me with a new tracker, I guess." Bond leaned forward, placing his hands on the bed and trying not to clench them into fists. "I… I should've handled the situation better, but I couldn't. I was too caught up in the shock of drinking alcohol unexpectedly."

Q shook his head with furrowed brows, gently placing his hand on Bond's shoulder. "No. Don't say that. She got the best of all of us. You can't blame yourself, James… All that matters is that you made it back here alive."

Bond looked into his eyes. "It's not that. I lost control. If I hadn't panicked at the taste of the alcohol, I wouldn't have ingested that much of the drug. I wouldn't have wound up passed out in a bathroom like it was my first time being slipped a date-rape drug." He clenched his fist and pounded it once into the bed. "I was weak."

Q shook his head, carefully taking Bond's face into his hands and gazing into his eyes intensely. "If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you're not weak. They knew you were coming and we weren't prepared for that. But it won't happen again. I promise… I won't let it."

Bond looked between Q's eyes desperately, needing to believe it. "You can't promise that. Just like I can't promise I'll always come back."

"Believe this." Q leaned in and pressed his lips to Bond's, kissing him gently.

Bond pressed into the kiss immediately, sighing and parting Q's lips with his own. "Q…" He murmured.

Q pulled back and kissed the agent's forehead softly. "Go home. I'll be there as soon as I'm done here, okay?"

Bond chuckled and rested his head on Q's shoulder. "You need more sleep than I do at this point. I slept for nearly a week straight."

"And I will," he nodded with a small smile. "I've just got to finish up some paperwork and I'll be there."

Bond finished buttoning up his shirt, stepping close to Q, and slipped the IV out of his vein, putting pressure on the spot. "I'll be back at my flat." The Quartermaster nodded and gave his hand a light squeeze before going on his way.

The agent made his way out of Headquarters, quickly heading back to his flat. When he had arrived, he stood in the doorway, taking in the emptiness of the place and fighting the urge to leave again. He hesitated, but then his thigh throbbed and he stepped inside, locking the door behind him. Stripping as he walked down the hall, Bond disregarded where his clothes fell and went straight to bed, collapsing on the mattress and grasping the gun under his pillow before falling asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Q arrived at Bond's flat after a few more hours, furrowing his brows as he reached the door and heard someone shouting. At first, he wasn't sure that he was at the right door, but he checked his phone for the address again, confirming that it was Bond's. He knocked on the door, biting his lip. When there was no answer, he tried the knob, relieved to find it unlocked. He opened the door slowly, his hand reaching into his bag to grab the small taser on his key fob as he stepped inside.

"One text. One fucking text is all I would have needed. I was in Belize for two fucking weeks!" Trevelyan continued to shout at Bond as Q closed the door behind him, clearing his throat. Alec whirled around to face him. "Don't even!" He shouted at the Quartermaster before turning back to Bond. "I will deal with you later," he growled, pointing a finger at him.

The two watched as Alec went over to the window and unlocked it before pushing up on it. The window didn't budge. "It's stuck," Bond told him.

"Shut up!" 006 glared back at him over his shoulder before going back to jiggling the window.

"The door's open," Q suggested to him as he pointed back at the door over his shoulder.

"Fuck you!" He continued to struggle with the window until it finally gave in and pushed up. Alec gave Bond one final glare before leaping out onto the fire escape and out of view.

Bond blinked and stood up from his seat on the couch, rubbing a pot on his bare chest gently. "Tea?" He asked with a smile before walking past Q and into the kitchen, searching through the cupboards until he found a kettle.

Q followed with a quiet sigh, rubbing his eyes. "Honestly, I feel like I'm going to pass out."

Bond paused in fixing the tea. "Bedroom's down the hall." He nodded in it's direction, waiting patiently for the water to boil.

The Quartermaster nodded and went back to the bedroom. He stripped down to his boxers and undershirt before setting his glasses on the nightstand and laying down. He had planned on waiting for Bond to come in, but he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Bond poured the hot water into his cup before walking back to his bedroom, standing in the door for a moment as he looked over Q's sleeping form. With a small smile, he walked over and set his cup down next to Q's glasses before sitting back against the headboard. Bond gently ran his fingers through the dark curls next to him before taking his cup again and drinking his tea. When finished, he settled under the covers and turned on his side to face Q. He blinked once and fell asleep the next second, gun forgotten.


	8. Chapter 8

Bond awoke early the next morning, lying on his back with Q curled up against his side. He smiled down at Q, bringing his hand up to link his fingers with Q's that rested on his chest. He laid back and enjoyed the morning.

Q groaned softly as he began to wake a short while later, burying his face in Bond's neck. He let out a soft sigh and gently pressed his lips to the tanned skin. "What time is it?" He murmured.

Bond glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "Almost seven. Did you sleep well?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah," he nodded with a yawn and rubbed his eyes before reaching over Bond to grab his glasses. "I should get ready for work… Mind if I use your shower?"

Bond nodded vaguely, watching as Q stood. The agent stood as well and grabbed his cup from the night before, taking it with him to the kitchen and setting it in the sink before starting a pot of coffee. He opened the fridge and looked at what he had, which could helpfully be described as overripe. He sighed and dragged the bin over, starting to empty what little food he had to begin with into it. After cleaning out the fridge, Bond went back to the bedroom, dressing quickly before going to leave, thinking only of the pastry shop a block away. Then, hand on the door, he doubled back and scrawled out a quick note for Q, leaving it on the coffee-maker.

Meanwhile, Q went back to the bathroom and stripped completely before turning on the water and stepping under the hot stream. He let out a soft sigh as he let his muscles relax. He closed his eyes as he shampooed his hair and washed his body carefully. When he had finished up with his shower, Q dried himself off and went to dress in his clothes from the day before.

He left the bedroom and went to the kitchen in search of Bond, surprised to find that he wasn't there. He furrowed his brows before finding the note that the agent had left for him:

Out for food, be back in a moment. -James. P.S. Help yourself to coffee.

Q smiled softly before finding a pen and adding to the note:

Off to work. I'll call later. -Q

With that, the Quartermaster slipped on his shoes and grabbed his bag off the floor before heading out to work.

Bond returned to the flat, taking the stairs two at a time. "Q?" He called out as he stepped inside, not hearing a response. He glanced at the coffee-maker and sighed when he read Q's addition to his note. He crumpled it up and tossed it into the bin, looking at the pastries sourly. He pushed the box to a corner of the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee, drinking it black. He walked through the flat, picking up his discarded clothes from the day before and tossing them into the hamper. He finished his coffee and stood completely still for a long moment. Then, grabbing his phone and slipping it into his pocket, Bond grabbed his gun, checking that the chamber is empty before sticking it down the back of his jeans. He pulled on his jacket and left the flat, slamming the door behind him and locking it before disappearing into the streets of London.

When Q arrived at Headquarters, he was surprised to find M already waiting for him in his office. He smiled at him politely before taking a seat at his desk and booting up his computer. "How can I help you, sir?" He asked his superior.

"I was just wondering how the smart blood is coming along, if it's ready for implementation," M replied.

The Quartermaster raised a brow at him, nodding his head slowly. "We haven't exactly finished testing it yet. I sent an email a few weeks ago about choosing a double-oh to test it on, but I never heard back from you."

"Oh?" He raised a brow at him in return. "My apologies, Q. Give it to 006."

"006, sir?"

"Yes. In normal circumstances, I would tell you to give it to Bond, but he won't be going out in the field for a while yet. He deserves a break, don't you think?"

"Yes, sir," Q nodded. "He does… I'll have 006 come in this afternoon."

"Excellent." M stood and opened his mouth the say something, but turned to leave instead, swiftly exiting Q Branch.

Q let out a quiet sigh and put on his headset before beginning to dial Trevelyan's number. He paused halfway through, biting his lip softly before deleting it and entering Bond's instead. He didn't want to lose him like that again.

Bond looked up suddenly from where he was, sitting on top of a roof somewhere in London, dangling his legs over the side as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He grabbed it and tapped the screen. "Bond," he said, his eyes roving over the smoggy horizon.

"007," Q said with a grin as he typed away at his computer, "I need you to come into Q Branch for a bit."

The agent nodded to himself and looked around, trying to get his bearings. "On my way. Though, it may take me a while."

Q stopped typing for a moment and furrowed his brows. "Why? Where are you? I thought you'd be at your flat."

"I went for a walk. I think I'm somewhere near Bromley, about half an hour if I can find a cab. How long have you been at work?"

"Left as soon as I was dressed," Q replied softly, glancing around to make sure that no one was listening to him. "I would have stayed, but I had a meeting with M."

Bond shook his head, but said nothing, finishing his descent from the building with a grunt. He checked the time. It had only been an hour and a half since he had left his flat. "Christ, how the hell did I get here?" He muttered. "I'm grabbing a cab now."

Q nodded with a small smile as he got back to work. "Alright. I'll see you, then."

Bond spent the cab ride musing over his morning walk and, soon, he was walking down to Q Branch. He fiddled with the box of pastries that he had grabbed from his flat along the way. He entered, wondering absently if he could start a mutiny by bringing some in for the minions as he went over to Q's office. "Hello, Q."

The Quartermaster looked up from his computer screen, unable to help the grin that slowly formed on his face. He cleared his throat and managed to push back the smile a bit. "007. This way, please," he said as he stood from his desk and led the agent back to one of the labs.

Bond followed him closely and set the box of pastries on a table in the lab before hopping up next to it. "I brought breakfast," he said with a smile.

"You didn't have to do that," Q replied softly, shrugging his shoulders with a small smile. "But I am going to have to ask you to remove your shirt."

"I meant to get them to you before you left for work, but you beat me," the agent smirked, starting to toy with the first button of his shirt. "And only if you ask very nicely. A little begging might help convince me."

Q rolled his eyes at him as he moved to get the equipment ready. He entered a code into the computer and a drawer opened. He pulled a vial and syringe out of the drawer before closing it.

Bond raised his eyebrows at him as he finished slipping out of his shirt. "Am I missing a vaccination?"

Q turned his head to looked at him, his eyes lingering over the agent's chest before meeting his blue eyes. "I… I've volunteered you to test out some new equipment for me."

Bond caught his appreciative look, but ignored it for the moment. "Care telling me what you'll be injecting me with? Equipment?"

"It's called smart blood. I'll be able to track you without worrying about losing you again," he says as he hooks him up to the heart rate monitor.

Bond glanced at the monitor and pushed aside any anxiety he may have had for the shot and decided to play with it instead. Q brushed paced him and the agent willed his heart to race. The Quartermaster probably didn't know that he had been trained to control his heart rate, but it would be fun either way.

Q's eyes widened when he heard the beeping and whirled around, glancing at the monitor before rushing to Bond's side. "James?! James, what's wrong? Are you alright? Should I page medical?"

The agent let an easy grin slide onto his face as his heart rate increased again. "Just enjoying your presence."

Q slapped his arm in annoyance and muttered, "I hate you." He tied a band around Bond's arm before getting the syringe ready.

Bond tensed but smirked, this time forcibly lowering his heartbeat as Q got the needle ready. He normally avoided medical just to skip out on this experience alone. When Q met his eyes, silently asking if he was ready, Bond nodded as Q took his arm in his hand and carefully injected him with the smart blood. He held his breath until the needle was finally pulled out and shook his arm a bit. "How'd I do, Doc? Do I get a sticker?"

"We're not quite done yet," Q smirked. "Behave and maybe I'll give you a kiss." He raised a brow at him before going over to the computer to make sure that the smart blood was working.

"Yes, sir," the agent smirked to himself. He opened the box of pastries at his side and took a bite out of one as he watched the younger man work with the computers.

Q bit his lip, brows furrowed as he typed rapidly. "Looks like it's working. We'll see how big of a range it's got when you're sent out on your next mission."

"I hope it's somewhere warm again," the agent mused. "Although, it's pretty nice in Canada this time of year, I've heard. Not that I'd ever be sent there."

"Well, you never know," Q replied with a shrug as he moved to unhook the agent from the monitor.

Bond turned to stare at him as he moved away with the equipment. "Canada? What would I be doing? Aren't they not even an option for us anymore? I feel like anyone taking advantage of them would apologize and take their business elsewhere." He took another bite of the pastry and grinned.

Q rolled his eyes at the agent with a fond smile before handing his shirt over to him. "You never know what could happen in this crazy world we live in."

"You sure you want me to put this back on?" The agent teased as he waved his shirt at Q. "And no. I'm pretty sure the lack of anything going on in Canada is the crazy thing."

"Just get dressed," Q chuckled softly as he went back to work on the computer. "Any plans for tonight?"

Bond stuffed the rest of the pastry into his mouth, sliding his shirt over his arms and quickly buttoning it up. "Not a thing. Unless you plan on changing that?" He smiled at the Quartermaster with a raised brow.

"Do you want me to?" Q raised a brow at him. "I could come over after work."

The agent stepped close to him, wrapping an arm around Q's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. "Of course I do. Do you want me to cook again?" He asked, pressing a kiss to Q's cheek before stepping back.

The Quartermaster leaned into his touch as he spoke and looked back at him when he had stepped away. "If you're feeling up to it. I may be a bit late tonight, though."

"That's okay. It'll give me time to prepare. What do you feel like eating?"

Q shrugged a bit. "Honestly, I could probably just go for some pizza. It's been ages since I've had it."

Bond smiled and nodded eagerly. "I love making pizza. Tossing the dough was one of my favorite things to learn."

The Quartermaster chuckled softly and leaned forward to give the agent a gentle kiss. "Perfect. I'll call you when I'm on my way."

Bond smiled into the kiss. "Text me what toppings you like."

"Will do." He pecked his lips once more with a smile before stepping away and going back to the computer.

Bond watched his Quartermaster a moment longer, then smiled and left, already thinking of a list of things to get from the store.


	9. Chapter 9

Bond found himself outside of a flower shop, groceries bought and put away at his flat, what ingredients needed cutting done and put away. He had started a walk but had gotten sidetracked as he went by the small shop. He finally made up his mind and stepped in, hoping that it wouldn't take long.

He browsed through the shop, wondering what Q would like. It was a bit too early in their relationship for roses. Lilies reminded him of funerals. The agent wasn't sure that he'd find anything, until his eyes fell upon and arrangement of sunflowers that made him smile. He purchased the bouquet before returning to his flat.

Bond felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he entered the building. Closing the door behind him, he took the stairs to his flat quickly. Stepping inside, he quickly placed the arrangement of flowers on the dining table before slipping his phone out of his pocket to read the text message. [Just leaving. I'll be there in twenty minutes or so. -Q] He smiled and finished getting everything ready.

When he had finished setting the table and cleaning up the counters, Bond checked the time. It was past time for Q to show. He frowned, seeing that it had been thirty-three minutes since his Quartermaster had sent the text. He sent Q a text, looking over what he had set out while he waited for a response. [What, did you get distracted?]

When there was no response after a couple minutes, Bond called Q's phone, starting to worry when it rang through to voicemail. He slipped his shoes on, calling again as he left his flat, locking up before starting on his way to Headquarters. The agent had made it a few blocks, still calling Q, when he heard a ring coming from in the bushes on the side of the path. He immediately rushed over, pushing the leaves away until he found Q's phone. He let out a shaky breath as he grabbed it and searched through the bush until he found Q's bag as well, everything still in it. He almost cursed in anger, grabbing the bag before rushing off the Headquarters, M's number already ringing. When he answered, Bond spat out one sentence before hanging up. "Q's been taken."

Bond rushed into Q Branch and, facing the group at large, he called out, "Q has been kidnapped!" The immediate response calmed him a bit and he moved forward a bit, ready to help however he could.

Bond worked furiously alongside the minions and M as they all tried to find who had taken the Quartermaster. Hours passed before they finally got a face. M outlined where the man would be and then turned to look the agent straight on. "Don't take too long torturing him," M told him. "We need the information."

It took less than hour to find the man, and just a few minutes longer to be dragging him into a nearby empty storage room that someone from Q branch had located. Bond cuffed the man to a chair, going to the door and looking to make sure there was no one in the area to witness what was about to happen. He heard a shuffling sound behind him, the man making noises as he woke up and took in his surroundings, and closed the door, locking it behind him. He pulled out the single blade he had brought with him and examined it, readying himself. With a soft sigh, he made his way to the other room, starting to unbutton the cuffs of his shirt and roll up his sleeves.

The man sat silent and sallow-faced in the chair, breathing tight and shallow and wrists already reddening from trying to escape the cuffs. He licked his lips once, nervously as Bond approached him, but didn't say anything as the agent finished with his sleeves.

"Oh good," Bond murmured. "I was hoping you wouldn't beg, that just gets so annoying." He looked down at the knife he held balanced lightly in one hand, flipping it a few times absentmindedly.

"You know what I want, and I really don't want to have to muck about for too long. You know that if you don't tell me what I want before you die, I'll just go find somebody else who will." Bond spoke in a deceptively mild tone, watching the pulse in his victim's neck tick faster and faster out of the corner of his eye. "At this point, you can still live. I can even promise no retaliation from MI6 if you tell me right now." The agent waited a moment, watching with a detached sense of disgust as sweat began to bead along the man's temples. When there was still no answer, Bond sighed disparagingly. "Fine." In one smooth movement, he squatted in front of the man, jamming the knife into the meat of his thigh. The resulting scream echoed dissonantly around the mostly empty rooms.

"You'll have to excuse me, I really have no time for elegance.. Feel free to speak up at any time, really." The man didn't answer except for small whimpers he failed to hide as the agent slowly began wiggling the knife side to side, pushing the blade even deeper. The man wailed as the blade finally scratched against bone, Bond letting out a small hum of satisfaction.

"This next bit will be really unpleasant. I should probably give you a moment to breathe, to think about whether or not you want to tell me where my Quartermaster is, hmm?" The agent smiled genially up at the man, but then shook his head. "But I don't think I've changed your mind just yet." Bond stood, putting more and more weight on the knife until finally, with a small crack, the blade sunk into the marrow of the bone. He waited a while as the man screamed, unable to get a hold of himself for a few good minutes and growing more and more hysterical until Bond slapped him across the face.

"Hey, focus here, look at me." Bond waited until the man's eyes were vaguely focused on his. "We're not done yet, you can breathe through this. Just think, if this is how painful it is now, what will I do next? How much more do you think you can take?" The man's breathing started speeding again and Bond snapped his fingers in front of him again, leaning closer to the man's face. "This is still salvageable. All I need is an address. A name." The man's lips pressed together firmly. Bond felt a flicker of respect for the man, but it was overtaken by a nauseating mixture of worry, irritation, and a sickening dash of fear for Q. The agent sighed disappointedly.

"As you wish," He murmured, grabbing the handle of the knife enough to jostle it roughly, then twisting until there was a much larger cracking noise as the femur split lengthwise. Bond sat through the resulting sobbing until the man's words became clear.

"The Hotel Cicero! The man who hired me, he's at the Hotel Cicero" The man finally got out. "Just. No more, please, no more." He sobbed. Bond considered the man thoughtfully, then pulled the knife up and to the side, neatly slicing through a femoral artery. He stood smoothly and watched solemnly as the man cried and bled out slowly, then called in a disposal team. Less than an hour later, he called in to Headquarters from the hotel.

"He's connected to the people who took me in Belize. If we find them, we might find Q." He hung up, looking at the body tied up in the bathtub of the hotel room, and called the disposal team again. He entered the address the man had finally admitted to Bond into his phone, and washed his hands of blood before he left.

A half hour drive later, the agent hurried through a crowd of people surrounding a club near the warehouse district. He had to be close. He had to believe that would find Q here. Nearly thirty-two hours had passed and this was where all of their efforts had pointed. Bond began to feel a bit more optimistic when a grunt barreled into him from a side alley. If he was being attacked, he had to be close.

Q awoke, his head throbbing as he took in his surroundings. He was in a dark room, tied to a chair. He pulled against his restraints in an attempt to break free, but the ropes wouldn't budge, only causing them to dig into his sensitive flesh even more.

He stopped struggling and bit his lip harshly as as he thought things over. He knew how he was supposed to respond in these sort of situations, but he never thought he'd actually be kidnapped. He could only imagine what they were planning to do to him.

Q sat up straighter in his seat, trying to maintain at least some sense of dignity, when he saw the door open. He didn't recognize the main that entered, but he knew he was in trouble. The man stalked right up to him and hit him across the face with no warning, Q yelping softly in pain. "What the hell was that for?" The Quartermaster shouted at the man before he was struck again, knocking his glasses off his face.

"I'm asking the questions," the man growled at him.

"But you haven't asked any questions! You're just hitting me!" Q regretted his smart tongue a second later as the man wrenched his head up by the hair and punched him right in the mouth. He flinched at the taste of blood as his lips cut against his teeth, but there was nowhere to go as the man held him steady and punched him a few more times. On the last punch he felt something snap and cried out as blood began gushing from his nose.

Q hung his head as blood dripped from his mouth and nose, a small puddle forming on the floor. He remained as silent as he could while the man started to question him, not crying out an ounce more than he could hold back as the man pounded anywhere he could reach on Q's body. He just prayed that Bond would get to him before it was too late.

Q was left alone for an hour before the man returned and pulled him from the chair, throwing him to the ground as he shouted questions at him. But Q remained silent. He couldn't give in. Bond would find him. He had to. Q grunted in pain as he was kicked in the stomach, beginning to worry that the agent would come too late. He was curled up on the floor, shivering violently as he murmured continuously. "Bond will come for me… He has to find me… He has to…" Two more men entered the room and pulled Q up to his knees, holding him there as he whimpered softly and prepared himself for the pain he was sure to come.

Bond kicked in another door, listing slightly to the side where a rib had been cracked. He took out the men inside quickly, killing with no mercy. He knew he was near the center of the building where Q must be, but he hadn't found him yet. As he ran along the halls, he grabbed anything he could use as a weapon, improvising as he had quickly ran out of bullets. He ignored the pain in his side as he kicked in another door, gasping as he took in the situation. "Q!"

The Quartermaster had caught a blurred glimpse of Bond's face before the men threw him aside to attack. He hit his head as he landed, blacking out.

Bond snarled and launched himself forward, using all of his body weight to jam the pipe he held in his hand into one of the men. He spun, using the momentum to roundhouse kick another man in the face. The man got another dazed punch in before the agent decked him again. He turned to the last man, the one holding Q, and froze, seeing only the gun that was held to the Quartermaster's head.

Bond stepped back and put his hands up, face blank and giving away none of the anger he was feeling. The man said something, but he couldn't hear him. There was only buzzing in his ears. Bond doesn't react until finally, /finally/, he takes the gun off Q, brandishing it at the agent instead. Bond leapt forward, not registering the pain in his arm as he took the man down, rolling away from Q. Bond grabbed the man's gun hand from where it was flailing and twisted it, looking him dead in the eye as he slowly forced the man's hand to point the gun at himself.

"Look at me," Bond growled at him, pushing the gun into the man's mouth. "Look at me!" He bellowed, the man's eyes finally flashing to his as he pulled the trigger.

Bond rolled over to Q, breathing heavily as he looked him over. He was beaten up, but fine for now. He pulled out his phone and called M. "It's done. I have him. We need paramedics." The agent hung up before carefully pulling Q into his arms, pressing a kiss to his matted curls.

M walked in on the scene and looked over the two, brows furrowed with concern as the paramedics rushed over to carefully remove Q from Bond's embrace. The Quartermaster's eyes opened a bit, just in time to see Bond's before they took him out to the ambulance.

Bond stood and watched as they took Q away. He felt lightheaded and exhausted and, when M placed his hand on the agent's shoulder, he flinched away in sudden pain. The lightheadedness only got worse as he realized that he was bleeding heavily and was suddenly on the ground. M knelt next to him, shouting at someone for help. All Bond felt was relief that Q was safe as everything faded away to black.


	10. Chapter 10

Q awoke in medical three days later, his head throbbing. He winced in pain and covered his eyes to block out the bright light of the room. He gave his eyes time to adjust before sitting up in bed and glancing around the room, his gaze falling upon Bond in the chair next to him.

The agent jerked awake suddenly, looking up at Q blankly for a moment and then whispering, "Q?" He reached out to carefully push Q's curls from his face, mindful of his bandages, and smiled softly. "You finally woke up, sleepy-head."

Q didn't pay attention to Bond's words and, instead, pulled off all the wires and tubes that were attached to him. He moved to stand up but his knees buckled beneath him.

"Q!" Bond said, alarmed. He caught the younger man and hauled him up, holding him bridal-style, and then sunk down into the bed with a soft hiss of pain. "Q? What's wrong? Hey. look at me." He cradled Q's face in his hands carefully. "We're safe… You're safe."

Q shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to push Bond away from him. "No, I need to… I need… I need to go home. I… I can't be here. I need to go home."

Bond turned them on the bed so that Q was sitting next to him before standing and crouch to meet his eyes, never letting the contact between them break. "I know, Q. I know. But, first we have to make sure you're okay, right?And then we'll go home right after, does that sound good?" He looked between Q's eyes as he seemed to calm a bit. "We're going home, Q. It's okay."

Q let out a shaky breath as he gripped the bed sheets tightly. "I-I can't stay here. I…. I don't want them to see me like this. I just want to go home."

Bond looked over Q carefully, assessing him. He was steady and the doctors had said he could leave that day, if he awoke. Although, they had probably meant much later than the sudden abbreviated plan he was coming up with in his head. "Well," he said, leaning forward to gently press his forehead against Q's, "You're lucky you're with me. Breaking out of here will be a breeze." He pulled back and grabbed the plastic bag containing the Quartermaster's clothes, setting it on the bed. "Get dressed."

Q swallowed thickly and began pulling his bloodstained clothes from the bag, carefully putting on his jeans first. He removed the stiff hospital gown he was wearing and pulled on his jumper.

The agent finished sending a text before looking up at Q. "Christ, I should have gotten you new clothes," he grimaced, "but I couldn't leave." His phone buzzed in his hand and he glanced at it before sliding it into his back pocket and removing his jacket. He stood up next to Q and helped him put it on before grabbing his hand. "Ready to go?" He asked, glancing around the room for things they may have forgotten. "Just keep your head down. Everything else has been taken care of."

Q bit down on his lip harshly as he followed holding on to Bond's sleeve with his other hand. He kept his eyes on the floor, hardly able to see where he was going without his glasses.

Bond led him carefully, slipping down hallways with no trouble. Finally, they stepped out of the building and he wrapped his arm, around Q's slender frame. "Halfway home. Should I call a cab?"

Q sniffled a bit and nodded his head as he curled into Bond's body a bit, his own trembling. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle walking all the way back to his flat.

The agent grabbed a cab quick, hardly waiting for Q's response, and helped him inside before settling in close. He told the driver the address, paying more attention to the slight tremors going through Q's frame. He sent two more texts along the ride, then helped Q out of the car when they had arrived, paying the driver before leading him inside.

Q licked his bleeding lip, ignoring the sting of pain that came along with it as they made their way up to his door. "Do you have my keys?" He asked quietly.

Bond patted the pockets of his trousers before slipping his hand into the jacket Q was wearing. He pulled the keys out with a satisfied grin and let them in quickly. "Come on. We need to get you out of those clothes."

Q nodded as he carefully headed back to his bedroom. He slipped off Bond's jacket, laying it carefully on the bed before removing the rest of his bloodstained clothes and leaving them in a pile on the floor. He sighed and went back to the bathroom for a shower, closing the door behind him. He turned on the water as hot as it would go and stepped inside, hissing softly at the feeling on his skin. He just stood under the stream of water, his fists clenched at his sides.

Meanwhile, Bond grabbed some glasses from the cabinet and filled them both with water before setting them down on the table. He grabbed a plastic bag before going back to the bedroom and putting Q's bloodstained clothes inside, tying it off before setting the bag next to the bin. He would ask Q what he wanted to do with it later. There was a quiet knock on the door and the agent went to answer it, grabbing the box of pizza from the man outside and paying him quickly. Hopefully Q would be up for eating.

After getting the table ready, Bond went back to the bathroom and knocked on the door gently. "Q? Are you okay?" His brows furrowed with worry when there was no response. "Q, if you don't answer me, I'm coming in." He twisted the knob, relieved that it didn't resist, and waited for an answer.

He waited a moment longer before pushing the door open quietly. Bond stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, leaning back against it for a second. He was relieved to see Q standing there still, but he could see tremors wracking the younger man's slight frame. Bond stepped forward and pushed the curtain out of the way, reaching one hand in to gently touch Q's shoulder. "Hey, genius, how're you doing?"

Q flinched at his touch and stepping away from him, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the wall and tried to focus on his breathing. "I… I'm fine."

Bond flinched back as well, not meaning to have elicited such a response. He bit his lip, not knowing how to handle the situation. He turned away for a moment, finding a clean towel and turning back to hold it up for Q. "Why don't you come out now? I have food for us?" He looked around quickly, searching for something but not finding it. "We need to get you a new pair of glasses."

"In the drawer next to the sink," Q replied softly as he took the towel and wrapped it around himself.

Bond turned and opened the drawer, shuffling through it until he found a pair of glasses. "Do you just have several of these laying about?"

"I lose them," Q mumbled as he went back through to the bedroom to get dressed.

Bond followed, thinking nothing of it, and leaned against the doorway. "Your keys, your glasses, is there anything you wouldn't lose if it wasn't connected to you?" He realized that he was scanning the hall and room for threats, protecting Q even now.

The Quartermaster shrugged his shoulders a bit in response as he opened the second drawer of his dresser. He grabbed a grey t-shirt and pulled it on with a wince.

Bond saw the pain in Q's face and looked away, shifting uncomfortably. He didn't know how to handle this. The first time it had happened to Bond, he was back in the field in less than a week, ready for more. But Q wasn't meant for this kind of battle. He excelled in one that the agent mostly did not understand. Bond didn't know what to do, how to act. He turned to head back to the kitchen. "I got pizza."

Q nodded a bit with a quiet sigh before getting out a pair of boxers. He dropped his towel before pulling them on, putting on some track pants over them. He stood there and stared at the floor, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides.

Bond hovered in the kitchen, fiddling with his glass of water for a moment before starting back toward the bedroom. He stopped, pausing at the entrance of the hallway. He just wanted to comfort Q, but would he feel smothered if he stayed around him? What if Q got angry and sent him away? He stopped himself. He was just winding himself up. When had his instincts ever led him wrong? The agent's mind had come up with several scenarios in which that happened in just the short walk to Q's bedroom, but he shook himself out of it when he saw him. Bond didn;t doubt himself this time. He moved to stand in front of Q so that he could see anything the agent did. Bond slowly stepped forward and pulled Q into his arms, not hesitating even when he felt his body stiffen.

When the agent pulled him into his arms, Q let out a shaky breath and buried his face in Bond's neck. After a moment, he carefully wrapped his arms around him in return, tightly gripping his shirt in his hands. His entire body ached and it took all he had not to cry.

Bond slowly rubbed circles into Q's back with one hand, reaching the other up to card through his curls. He could feel the younger man relaxing in his arms, the tremors in his body slowly easing. He doubted that he'd be able to stop them completely, but he was glad he could help.

Q closed his eyes and he managed to let his body relax a bit more. There was still a lot of tension in his body, but he tried to ignore it. He didn't make any move to let go of Bond.

The agent slowly tugged him forward, walking backwards until the bed hit the back of his knees. He pulled Q into his arms again as he carefully fell back on the bed, pulling a blanket over the two of them. Bond pushed a kiss into Q's hair and continued to rub his back soothingly, staying silent for the moment.

As they lay down, Q curled up closely against him, leaning his head against the agent's chest. He took in a shaky breath before whispering. "It hurts…"

Bond stared up at the ceiling, his mind racing suddenly as he searched his memories for something he might have missed, some sign. "What's hurts?"

"Everything…" Q squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to keep calm. Bond's presence definitely helped, but his body still trembled.

The agent took a deep breath, relaxing a bit. He tried to think of what to say. "I know. And then your body will heal." He wished he could think of something more comforting, but anything else would be a lie and he couldn't do that to Q. Not now. Not ever.

"That's not the only thing that hurts," Q murmured as he held onto the agent. He couldn't make himself look up at him. He didn't want to move.

Bond lifted his head to look down at him. "What else?" He leaned up on his elbow, careful not to jostle Q too much.

"My head," Q sniffled softly. "My heart… Everything." He shook his head as he continued to cling to him. "I feel so broken…"

Bond wrapped his arm tighter around him. "Q, you're not broken. Not to me. Not to anyone. You're so strong. You faced them and everything they could dole out and you still came out on top. You survived. You have dealt with the worst and beat it. You, broken? That couldn't be farther from the truth. Shaken, beaten down, mentally and physically exhausted, maybe. But never broken." He leaned over Q more and looked him in the eye. "You are so strong, Q."

Q bit his lip as he met those blue eyes, tears stinging in his own. He finally allowed himself to break down and come undone as he began to cry. Pained sobs wracked through his body as he held onto Bond tightly.

The agent laid back down, pressing kisses to Q's hair and rocking them gently. He was glad that he had been able to talk to him, to say what he had needed to hear. Bond had always thought those things but had never been able to say them.

Q continued to cry quietly into Bond's chest. He hated showing weakness, especially around someone like James Bond, but being with him was much better than being alone. After a while, Q slowly managed to drift off to sleep in the agent's arms.

Bond listened to Q's breathing as it evened out when he fell asleep. He felt a swell of /something/ in his chest that made it hard for him to breathe and swallowed thickly, blinking at the stinging in his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut and synced his breathing with Q's, forcing his mind to calm. He could deal with whatever that was later. Seconds later, Bond was asleep, the heat radiating off Q's body and his steady breathing, pulling the agent under.

Q was lucky enough to get in a few hours of sleep before the nightmares settled in. He whimpered softly in his sleep, brows furrowed as he pulled away from Bond, his body jerking in phantom pain.

Bond awoke immediately at the movement, wrapping his arms around Q and cradling his head gently. "Shh, sweet, it's okay." He rocked Q gently and he freaked out internally, trying to figure out how to calm him down. Something comes to mind and he almost brushes it off, but it's all he can think of. He took a deep breath before beginning to sing. "Close your eyes and I'll kiss you… Tomorrow I'll miss you…" He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that it works. "Remember I'll always be true… And then while I'm away, I'll write home every day. And I'll send all my lovin' to you…" At this point, Bond just hopes Q won't wake up. But it seems to be working, so he continues softly.

Q's body relaxed a bit, but he continued to whimper softly in his sleep, curling up closer to the agent. Bond relaxed back into the bed, continuing to hum. He didn't know if he'd be able to get back to sleep at this point so he allowed his mind to wander, singing again when Q's nightmares threatened to wake him. At some point, they both fell into a deeper sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Q wakes early the next morning and rubs his eyes before reaching for his glasses and putting them on. He pays no attention to the man next to him as he gets up out of bed, moving to the bathroom to get ready.

Bond sat up as the bathroom door clicked shut, blinking sleep out of his eyes. He glared at the clock, time flashing 6:30 a.m. at him. "Q?" He hauled himself up and padded down the hall, peering into the bathroom to find his Quartermaster brushing his teeth. "What're you up to?"

"'M getting ready for work," he replied with a shrug before rinsing his mouth and exiting the bathroom, brushing past Bond.

The agent stood in the doorway, hesitating and then sighing in exasperation. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop him anyways. Bond leaned into the bathroom, using the mirror to fuss with his hair for a moment before straightening out his clothes the best he could. He moved through to the kitchen and tried to find some coffee, grabbing a slice of cold pizza to eat.

Q dug around in the drawer of his dresser for a pair of socks. He looked up into the mirror and gasped softly when he realized just how bruised his face was. He stood there and stared into the mirror, a hand over his mouth

Bond walked into the room with a slice of pizza for Q, but stopped and set down the plate when he saw what had happened. "Hey, look at me, sweet." The agent felt a small flush of embarrassment to his core and hoped he wasn't blushing for calling Q that out loud, but pushed the feeling away. "Your body is still healing. It's going to look worse before it gets better, but it's nothing more than that. Your strong, capable body doing what it does best and making you better. Don't worry about them. They will fade and, for now, they are a sign that someone took you down to your lowest point and you got right back up." He pressed a kiss to Q's cheek. "Plus, you look pretty badass."

Q rolled his eyes at that last part and leaned against him with a nod of his head. He took a deep breath before taking a seat on the bed to put his socks on.

Bond grabbed the pizza again and poked and prodded until Q managed to eat a few mouthfuls. He begged his Quartermaster to make coffee, making note of where it is when Q gets up to do so before putting on his shoes and grabbing his bag. "A-Are you coming in today?"

The agent scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I have a few errands to run in town and I need to get a change of clothes, but I'll come in with you. M probably wants me to do all sorts of paperwork." He frowned at the thought.

Q nodded his head a bit and carefully pulled on his jacket. "Are you ready, then? I… I've got a lot of things to do."

Bond slipped his shoes on, then opened the door for him. "Ready when you are," he grinned. Q nodded and stepped outside, getting his keys and locking the door.

Bond said goodbye as the cab dropped them off at Headquarters. He went home to change his clothes and spent nearly an hour cleaning up spoiled food. When he had finally made it back to Headquarters, he started to make his way down to see Q, but was intercepted by a desk worker. "M is expecting you in his office for a meeting." The agent rolled his eyes with a sigh before following.

When he had arrived, Moneypenny let Bond into M's office, where he found him sitting at his desk, going over the report of Q's rescue. M looked up from the file and gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit."

Bond nearly rolled his eyes but crossed the room and sat. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes," M nodded before getting straight to the point. "How long have you been seeing Q?"

The agent blinked once. "I'm not sure what you mean, /sir/." His thoughts raced. How would this affect Q?

"You know exactly what I mean, 007. Q was a mess while you were MIA and you practically went crazy searching for him. If there's something going on between my agents, I need to know. Now, answer the damn question."

Bond gripped the arm of his seat, knuckles going white before letting go. "About two months," he replied as he looked away. "M, you must kno-"

"Two months and you didn't bother to tell me? Do you have any idea how many missions, how many /lives/ you put in danger, 007?"

The agent's expression tightened. "None. You think I would allow this to enter my work? I don't understand the problem. We need Q and I got him back. If he didn't have someone to check in on him, he'll forget to eat and sleep. How is this a bad thing?"

M shook his head with a sigh. "It's a problem when your emotions get in the way of you doing your job."

He turned his head sharply away from M. "They're not. We are both professionals. We can handle it."

"Well, he couldn't. He could barely function when you disappeared. He's growing dependent on you and it's only going to get worse as he recovers from this."

Bond stiffened and parted his lips into a snarl. "Why isn't he here? Where are you getting off on this talking about him when he's not even in the fucking room?! He's /fine/. I'm /helping/." He got up and began to pace.

"Don't you think he's been through enough? He's recovering. The last thing he needs is something else to worry about."

"What do you think he's going to worry about? I'm there so he /doesn't/ worry. He needs me right now." Bond stopped pacing. "Why am I here? You called /me/ here."

"To make sure you understand the consequences of your actions. It was because of you that Q was taken in the first place, and I'm not willing to let that happen again."

Bond shook his head. "No. No, it wasn't my fault. No, there was no way…" He covered his mouth with his hand. He knew that M was right. If he hadn't messed up his mission in the first place, if he had kept his cool despite the situation, he would have been able to take them out. Deal with them before they got to Q. He let out a shaky breath and nearly whispered," What do you propose I do?"

"Do what's right for Q," M nodded. "Personally, I think you should end it, but I won't ask you to unless you feel that's what you need to do."

Bond shook his head slowly, barely able to move. But, at the same time, accepting it. It made sense. A clean break. A completely professional relationship. No cooking for him. No walks. Back to being the legacy. He could do that. He could do that for /Q/. Even if it meant that the agent would go back to being alone, in the place that he rented only for somewhere to be when he wasn't halfway around the world. "Okay," he barely mouth before clearing his throat. "Okay. It won't be a problem anymore. Good day."

The agent stepped out of M's office and closed his eyes, leaning back against the door. He could hear Moneypenny asking him something, but his thoughts were floors below, in a room with a curly-haired genius. How could he tell him this? How could he possibly do this? All he knew is that it would have to be in person. He wouldn't be the type of person to do this to Q in any other way. He didn't want to do it at all. He came back to himself once he was outside the doors of Q Branch. He had run out of time. He had to do it now.

Bond kept his face blank as he walked into Q Branch. His eyes found Q immediately, sitting behind his desk as if it were a normal day for the two of them, that his face wasn't bruised. Like he wasn't hampered at all by what had happened. Suddenly, it hit him. Q didn't need Bond. Q was strong enough to be without him. It was just as Q had said when they had just met. Bond was a grand old warship now. A remnant of what was and what soon would no longer be. Bond was just weak and tired. He would not burden Q anymore in this way.

Bond stepped into Q's office. "Q." He shut the door almost all the way. "We need to talk."

Q had just been sitting in silence, staring blankly at his screen as he tried to forget about what had happened to him. He looked up at Bond when he entered, a small smile on his face. However, that smile soon faded as the agent spoke, his brows furrowing. "Why? What's wrong? Are… Are you being sent out again? M didn't say anything to me…"

The agent inhaled deeply through his nose. "No, it's not that. I need to tell you something. To your face." He felt like his insides were corroding. "We can't… I can't be with you anymore. It's affecting our work. We should maintain only a professional relationship. We are risking ours and others lives by having possible emotions cloud our decisions." He blinked slowly, almost unable to reopen his eyes.

Q just stared at him for a moment in shock before shaking his head. "No. You… You can't be serious. You're kidding, right? This is some kind of joke. It has to be."

Bond stared at him for a moment, blatantly shocked. "Do you really think I'd joke about something like this?"

Q shook his head again as tears began to well up in his eyes, but he pushed them back. I… I don't… I don't understand. Why? We're fine when we're working. I…" He turned his back to him and took a deep breath. "Why couldn't you have decided this before I was kidnapped and fucking tortured?"

Bond held his breath, trying to keep up his calm facade. "This is because of that. It was my fault that anything happened to you at all and, by removing me from the equation, I'm removing the chance of you being hurt again. I know it's not good timing and-" He cut himself off. "My apologies, truly."

Q shook his head again, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Fuck you, Bond." He sighed and bit his lip as he wiped away the tears that had rolled down his face.

While Q was turned away, Bond let his eyes close for a second, feeling the pain roll across his face. "I'll go now. I'm sor- Goodbye."

Q took a deep breath and got back to work, hoping it would keep his mind off everything. When he returned to his flat that night, he finally gave up the control he had over his emotions. He discarded his jacket and shoes by the door before going to curl up in bed, quiet sobs wracking through his body as he cried.


	12. Chapter 12

Bond made it home somehow. He didn't know when or how, but, as he stepped through the door, he didn't hesitate. Shucking his jacket, the agent went straight to his liquor cabinet, so unused recently, and grabbed the first bottle he saw. Before he could even think about bothering with a glass, he had the cap off, already taking a gulp. He hissed as it went down, harsh and hot, leaving a beautiful numbness behind. He took another swig, dragging out a chair from the table and straddling it backwards, his arms dangling across the back. "I didn't want to do that," he murmured to himself. "Not to you. Never to you." He knocked back another gulp.

He heard a shuffling behind him and glanced around to see Alec standing in the doorway, stretching and scratching at the back of his neck. With a last yawn, Alec rocked up onto the balls of his feet a few times, letting his arms fall back down to his sides again.

"What's got you in such a mood? I thought you quit drinking?" He asked, stepping around Bond to snag a chair as well. He sat back comfortably, crossing his arms, and giving James a sharp look. "Spill then. M refusing to send you off on a mission? Did that sharp little redhead in Medical slap you again? Did Q tell you off for something?" Alec cajoled, trying to push James into a reaction. James grimaced at the last comment, moving to take another long drag from the bottle. Alec frowned, shocked. "Q? Did Q do something?"

"No." James grunted. "No, of course not," He continued, voice softer. "How could he do anything wrong. It's always me that fucks everything up."

Alec snorted, frowning deeply. "Stop being so maudlin, James. Out with it already, you prick."

James pushed himself up, glaring blearily at Alec."I did what was best for him! He can't see it right now, but he'll thank me later. He shouldn't have to deal with all the problems that I come with." His gaze shifted away from Alec's face as the man slowly stood, face like stone.

"What the fuck did you do, James?"

James slowly sank back down until he settled against the back of the chair again. "I broke up with him. At work. I had to do it in person, and I had to do it before I let myself be selfish, and keep him, regardless of how it would hurt him more later." His voice began wavering towards the end and he trailed off, sipping from the bottle even as Alec moved so he was standing directly in front of him, towering over him, really. Big and broad and pissed off.

"You've fucked up. And this time, I don't think you can fix it. I don't even think you deserve to fix it. What the fuck, James, why would you do this? To yourself? To Q? You had something finally, something you could keep, and would make you happy. Can you even tell me why?"

"M confronted me, told me I had to do something about it, that he doesn't want me risking our Quartermaster's life anymore," James murmured, defeatedly slumping forward. Alec bristled like a cat, anger and disappointment emanating from him strongly.

"You're a fucking idiot, James. If you don't fix this, I will make sure you regret this more than you already will." Alec pushed past James, exiting the kitchen and then the flat in quick succession, the door slamming shut behind him with finality. James sighed heavily, sipping again from the bottle, then crossing his arms across the top of the chair back and resting his head on top of them, his mind wandering for some time before he managed to pull himself back to reality.

Bond frowned at the bottle in his hand. When had it run out? How long had he been there? It didn't matter anyways. There were three ways he knew how to deal with a problem: a drink, a fuck, or a fight. I didn't trust himself with any more of the first. The second he just… he couldn't. Only the third remained. Bond grappled with the chair until he was on his feet. Nearly falling, he scooped up his jacket, pulling it on as he left the stupid, empty flat that would never be his home, and went out to look for a fight.

Q had managed to fall asleep after a while, only to be jolted awake by his nightmares. He had tried to go back to sleep, but his trembling body wouldn't let him. Finally, he gave in a reached for his phone. He tried calling Moneypenny first, but there was no answer. With a heavy sigh, he decided to try texting Bond. [Can you come over? I'm not asking for anything. I just don't want to be alone right now. -Q]

His head was swimming pleasantly when Bond noticed a vibration in the pocket of his jacket. "My phone?" He fumbled for it, squinting against the light of the screen as he read Q's text. "Bad idea. Bad idea. Bad idea," he chanted quietly, even as he typed out an affirmative answer. He sent it and then paused. He had no idea where he was, but a cab could take him anywhere, he thought as he flagged one down. He gave the address and got a weird look from the driver, not understanding why until he figured out where he was. How the hell did he get to Camden Town?

Q let out a sigh of relief when he read Bond's reply and got up to unlock the door for him. He made himself a cup of tea before curling up on the couch with one of his cats. His hands shook as he raised the mug to his lips, sipping tentatively.

Bond stepped out of the cab, tossing a few bills at the driver. "I should not be doing this," he said to himself. "M will be pissed. I /am/ pissed." Even as he stated this, he was resolutely marching to the door. He went up the stairwell to Q's flat and knocked lightly.

"It's open," Q called out to him weakly as he set his mug aside and hugged his knees to his chest.

Bond stepped in. Standing there and looking at Q, he knew he shouldn't have come. From the moment they had met, James hadn't been able to resist him. Though at first, he had thought it was completely carnal, like all of his relationships were. But then they began to really date and he had started to care for Q. Even when he had been sober, he had felt wrong about the situation. Now that his inhibitions were gone, there was no where else he would rather be. It was terrifying. It was so outside of his norm that he didn't know how to act and he couldn't follow his superior. M had to be wrong. There was no way that this pure feeling he had rarely felt before in his life was wrong. Neither of them had moved since Bond had stepped inside, but now, as Q turned to look up at him, he couldn't help it. James crossed the room and sat next to Q, wrapping his arms around him.

Q closed his eyes as he leaned into Bond's embrace, shaking his head as he whispered, "I-I'm so sorry, James. I know I shouldn't have asked you to come but…" He took a shaky breath. "I couldn't be alone and Eve didn't answer and I just…" He shook his head again as he buried his face in the agent's shirt.

James tightened his grasp around him. "I couldn't stay away. I…" He didn't know how to explain the situation, how to tell Q he had been wrong. He didn't know how to tell him that he regretted putting him through more stress and he didn't know what to do about M. "Q, I…"

"Don't," Q said softly as he shook his head. "Just hold me." He curled up against him more, not wanting to talk. They could discuss it more in the morning, but not right now.

James quieted his thoughts and pulled Q further into his arms. His Quartermaster was right for now. Being close was enough.

Q closed his eyes as he let his body relax against James, feeling better now that he was there. He could smell the alcohol on him, but said nothing. It didn't matter. Not right now, as he drifted off to sleep.

Bond settled into a comfortable position and enjoyed Q's warmth sinking into him. His eyes slowly became heavy, despite his wishes.


	13. Chapter 13

Slowly, James woke up fully, beginning to want to move. He looked down at Q, still solidly asleep against his chest, and smiled. He shifted up onto his elbow, drawing Q's body up his chest so that Q's head was leaning against the agent's shoulder and neck. Bond sat up, scooping up Q's legs and carrying him down the hall to the bedroom, shifted the covers out of the way as much as he could before laying him down. He tried to move back, but Q still had a tight grip on his shirt. Bond smiled and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his Quartermaster's forehead. Then, he took up Q's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently as he removed it from his shirt. He pulled the sheets up over Q, smiling for a moment before turning to leave the room. Bond went to start a pot of coffee and then went to the bathroom for a shower.

Q mumbled softly in his sleep as he was laid down and tucked in, remained that way until he heard the shower. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes with a soft yawn before getting up and wandering into the kitchen to fill his cats' dishes with food and water.

Bond stepped out of the shower when he was finished and looked doubtfully at the clothes he had left folded on the toilet. He dried off and hung up the towel to dry before grabbing the pile of clothes and tossing them near the bed once he realized that Q wasn't there. Turning, he went out to the kitchen to get some coffee and find Q.

Q was leaning back against the counter, slowly sipping his coffee, which he nearly spat out when he saw the agent. "Fucking hell! Put some clothes on!"

Bond startled back a step, reacting to the sudden loud noise before registering the words. "Jesus, Q, I haven't even had coffee yet. And I don't have any clean clothes. I'm not putting what I came in back on."

Q rolled his eyes and set his mug down on the counter before going back to the bedroom. He grabbed his robe and returned, tossing it over to Bond. "You're not really helping, you know."

Bond slid the robe on, not bothering to close it up yet as he was too preoccupied with his coffee. "With what?"

"You broke up with me yesterday and now you're walking around my flat, naked," Q sighed and grabbed his mug.

The agent froze. He had known last night that they should have talked, but it wouldn't have been fair to Q, as he had been emotionally exhausted and Bond had been drunk. Now, he didn't know how to break the ice. He carefully tied up the robe. "I didn't mean to do that," he murmured. "I didn't even think about it… Q, I… There's something I need to say." He fidgeted.

"Don't worry about it," Q shook his head as he raised his mug to his lips. "I shouldn't have asked you to come in the first place. I won't let it happen again."

"No, Q, please don't say that. Listen, I need to tell you why yesterday… Fuck. I don't know how to explain this. M called me in… Look, the thing I want to say is, because of you, I can't obey orders. No! That's not how I meant to say it!" He rubbed his face. "I can't resist being with you. I feel things. Things I didn't think were possible for me to feel." He stared at Q, exhaling roughly. "I shouldn't want this, but I do. I want you."

Q let out a shaky breath as he stared at him. Finally, he shook his head and set his mug aside as he moved to leave the kitchen. "No…. No, I can't do this. You can't fucking do this to me."

James shook his head, clenching his jaw. "Q, Please… Q…" He reached out and took Q's hand, pulling him back carefully to face him. "I made a mistake, but I don't ever want this to stop. I don't ever want to let you go. And, if you give me a second chance, it won't happen again. I won't be led to doubt again. I will do all I can to never hurt you again. I /never/ want to hurt you and it tore me apart to say those things." He inhaled shakily. "But if you won't, I… I'll let you be. But, Q, please… "He stared in straight in the eyes, intense. "Even if you won't take me back, please, don't stop calling me if you need someone. I still want to be there for you, even if you just need someone to hold you and leave in the morning." Bond looked down, then moved away, Q's hand sliding from his grasp. He tried to concentrate on his breathing while he waited for an answer.

Q looked away from him in an attempt to hide the tears that were forming in his eyes. He was overwhelmed by all of this and couldn't think straight. Running his fingers through his mess of curls, he took in a shaky breath and shook his head. "I… I can't… Fucking hell. I can't fucking do this right now. I… I need to get ready for work." With that, he turned and went back down the hall, locking himself in the bathroom.

The agent stood in the entrance of the hallway, jaw clenched and forlorn, not knowing what to do. He turned and looked at the kitchen, going to wash the coffee pot and their mugs after he had downed the still scalding liquid. That done, he turned and quietly went back to the bedroom where, after debating back and forth for a good while, he ditched the robe and slid, grimacing, into last night's clothes. Trying to ignore his skin crawling, Bond moved back out to the living room where he found Q's cats. He slumped down next to them on the couch, letting them sniff his hand. One crawled into his lap, purring. "At least you don't hate me."

Q just sat on the bathroom floor for a while as he tried to get his emotions under control. He just didn't understand any of it. With a heavy sigh, he undressed and got into the shower, hoping it would help relieve some of the stress.

Bond finally stood, letting the cat hop out of his arms. He needed to go home and get out of those clothes. He needed to prepare to let Q go. He was pretty sure that would be Q's decision. It made sense. He stopped the negative thoughts. He needed to get out and let the air clear. James snagged his jacket and left, closing the door without a sound. He quickly walked to his flat, peeling off his clothes as soon as he was inside and tossing them into the hamper. He showered quickly, not able to stand the gritty feeling of his skin.

Q stayed in the shower for a good while, mulling things over in his head. Of course he wanted to be with James. He just didn't know if his body could handle any more pain. When he was finished getting ready, he wasn't surprised to find that Bond had already left. He was slightly relieved. It gave him more time to think about it. He went to clean up the kitchen but sighed when he saw that it was already done for him. Q shook his head, pulling on his shoes and jacket before heading into work.


	14. Chapter 14

It had taken a while, but James had finally decided to just go ask M for an assignment. He could get out of London for a few days, let Q have some space, and have time to prepare himself for Q's decision. He slid on fresh clothes before leaving the flat. It wasn't long before he was striding past Moneypenny's… empty desk? He became aware of a loud voice coming from M's office and carefully eased the door open, peering inside. Q? He was standing in front of M's desk, yelling. But, even as James watched, Q seemed to crumple a bit and wavered. Moneypenny, who he hadn't noticed at first, stepped in and picked up where Q had left off as she led Q towards James and pushed him gently in his arms. James wrapped his Quartermaster in a hug and led him out of the office, leaving the door cracked open behind them. "Q? Shh, it's okay. What were you doing in there?" He asked, shocked at seeing Q yell at someone.

Q took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself, wiping away his tears. He had been crying a lot lately and he hated it. But there was just so much going on that he couldn't control it.

"I just… He shouldn't be interfering with our lives like this. We haven't been breaking any official rules and we had been acting professionally. So. I just wanted to make him understand it wasn't okay."

Bond sucked in a breath and began to gently pet Q's hair. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry. I wish I had never let him get to me. I'm so sorry." He pressed his face against Q's temple, just trying to get as close as he could and hoping it would comfort Q some.

Q nodded and wiped his eyes some more, glad that they were alone. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. "This week just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

James smoothed one hand down Q's back and back up in big, lazy swoops, carefully pressing a kiss to his head and thinking Q wouldn't notice. "Well, things should get better from here, right?"

"God, I hope so." Q nodded as the yelling from M's office diminished and Moneypenny emerged.

Bond subconsciously turned his body as she came closer, shielding Q. "Hello, Moneypenny. Had a lot to get off your chest?" She huffed in response.

Q pulled away from Bond a bit as he managed to compose himself, his eyes red from crying as he gave her a small, appreciative smile.

The agent slowly took a step back from him, giving him space, and glanced at Moneypenny. "Did you leave him in a condition to talk? I was going to ask him something."

"You're not asking him anything," she replied as she handed him a file. "Everything's approved. Take as much time as you need."

Bond looked down at the file, raising his brows. "What, exactly…?" He flipped the folder open, glancing at the details. "Oh," he breathed, looking over the contents further. He flicked his eyes back up at her, incredulous. "But…" Finally, he flipped the file toward Q and let him grab it. Moneypenny handed him another file and he glanced at it, raising his eyebrows even more. He covertly glanced at Q and, seeing that he was engrossed, skimmed through the file, memorizing the information. He made eyes contact with Moneypenny and nodded his thanks as he handed the file back to her.

Q furrowed his brows as he read over the file. "What… What is this?" He asked as he looked up at them. "I can't go on holiday. I have work to do."

Moneypenny shook her head. "You can't say no. It's already been worked out. Go. M agrees that some time off would do you both some good. And we've already got people in place to take care of your department. The minions have also been informed not to let you in if you try. Plus, you wouldn't let my gift go to waste, would you?" Bond watched as she shifted tactics flawlessly, her expression pleading.

Q glared at her for a moment before grumbling softly to himself. He turned and left the office to go back to Q Branch for his things.

Bond smirked after him before turning to Moneypenny, who promptly held up a pair of tickets and car keys. He took them and slipped them into his pocket. "You know that we're not really doing well right now, right?"

She smirked. "That man just bitched out the head of MI6 for you and your relationship. I trust you to fix the rest." Bond gave her a searching look before going to find Q.

Q had some trouble getting into his office, but he eventually managed to convince the minions that he was just getting his things. He went in a grabbed his jacket and bag before finishing up a few things on his computer before shutting it down. He then left his office, shutting the door and locking it behind him before heading out. He hoped that this holiday was a good idea.

James went down to find Q, meeting him as he stepped out of Q Branch. He fell in step beside him, feeling like everything was almost back to normal. He knew they had a lot to talk about, and he was stressed out of his mind about it, but he couldn't help but feel calm around Q. Bond opened the door for him and they stepped out onto the street. "So," he started awkwardly, "what are you going to do with your time off?" He didn't know how to bring up the trip.

Q shrugged his shoulders, feeling awkward, himself. "I don't know. I don't really have much of a life outside of work… Just… Whatever I've got with you… I guess."

James took a deep breath. "If you don't have anything going on, then… Would you like to come on a trip with me? We could work on…" He licked his lips nervously. "The… Whatever you have with me?" He winced at the wording.

Q raised a brow at him. "A trip? Where?" His hand brushed against Bond's as they walked.

The agent bit his lip as he felt Q's hand against his, wanting to just twist his wrist a little to catch it, but he didn't know if it would be welcome. "The destination is going to be a bit of a mystery for you, but I promise you'll love it."

Q smiled a bit at that. Getting away would definitely help him recover, especially if James was with him. "Alright. When do we leave?"

Bond let out a happy breath, relieved. "Tomorrow morning. We can pack and get ready tonight," he smiled, trying not to beam.

Q nodded as they arrived at Bond's flat. "Do you, um… Do you want to pack your things and... maybe… Come over?"

Bond's eyes widened a bit, his jaw dropping slightly. "I… Yes, I'd like that very much. Do you want to come in? It'll only take me a minute to grab my things."

Q nodded with a slight smile and followed him inside. He had almost forgotten how empty the flat was. He looked around once more before taking a seat on the couch.

James lingered for a moment before making his way down the hall to the bedroom. Opening his drawers, he pulled out a few outfits and put them into a bag. Moving to the bathroom, he grabbed his travel bag and stuffed it into his duffle as well as he walked back down the hall. "Done. Ready to go?"

He looked up and him and nodded and he stood, following him to the door. "So, um… How long are we staying wherever we're going?"

James opened the door for him as they left the flat. "A week. A week there and a week at home." He slung the bag over his shoulder as they exited the building. As they started to walk to Q's flat, Bond felt his Q's hand brush against his again. He took a deep breath and, on the next step, slipped their hands together, gently twining his fingers between Q's.

Q bit his lip softly at that and gently gave Bond's had a squeeze as they walked. When they had arrived, Q didn't let go of him as he unlocked the door and pulled him inside. He closed the door behind them and shrugged off his jacket, placing it and his bag on the table before running his fingers through his hair a bit nervously. "So, um… I, uh...I suppose we've got some things to talk about."

James took a deep breath, but he didn't feel so full of dread like he had before. "We do. How did you find out about M?"

"You said his name last night. I figured it out from there," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Bond stepped in, unable to help himself and he brushed Q's fringe out of his eyes. "So clever," he whispered. "And… Have you decided?"

Q licked his lips as he looked up at the agent and shook his head with a small smile. "There's nothing to decide."

James let his hand brush through Q's hair and then brought it down to frame his face, sweeping his thumb over the corner of Q's lips. "Q…" He whispered, tilting his head down and pausing and inch away from Q's lips, enjoying the heat and closeness of the situation.

Q closed his eyes, biting his lip softly. He took a deep breath before finally closing the gap between them and pressing his lips to Bond's.


	15. Chapter 15

James hummed into the kiss, stepping closer to Q as he splayed his hand across the younger man's chest. His fingers settled into the divots of Q's ribs and his thumb began to rub gentle circles around his nipple. Biting softly on Q's bottom lip, he turned his head to kiss down his jawline. Q gasped softly at the feeling of the agent's hand on his chest and tilted his head to the side. He closed his eyes, lips parting as he let out a soft moan.

Bond continued to kiss down his Quartermaster's neck, nipping at the crook of his neck. He slid his other hand from Q's face around to the back of his neck to tug at the dark curls there. His other hand moved to pinch Q's nipple before beginning to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Q reached up suddenly to stop Bond's hand, opening his eyes with a slightly scared expression. He didn't want him to see his beaten and battered body again.

Bond stopped, letting his lips rest on Q's neck. "Q?" He whispered, confused. He moved his head up to look him in the eyes.

Q shook his head, biting his lip softly as he avoided Bond's gaze. "You… You shouldn't have to see me like this."

James leaned in and kissed him again. "Q," he whispered against his lips," There is nothing, nothing in the entire universe that would stop me from thinking that you are the most wonderful, most entrancing being I have ever held in my arms." He pressed his forehead to Q's. "You are gorgeous, from your brilliant brain to your engaging eyes. Every inch of beautiful skin." He closed his eyes, letting his arms settle around Q's delicate frame. Q let out a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around him tightly, burying his face in Bond's neck.

The agent pulled back a bit so he could talk quietly in Q's ear. "Why don't we get you packed and ready and get you some food?"

Q nodded and rubbed his eyes. "There, um… There's still pizza in the fridge."

James pressed a kiss to Q's neck, just below his ear. "Why don't you go to your room and start packing?" He said, trailing his nose up and down Q's neck. "I'll heat something up for us."

Q nodded, letting out a shaky breath as he carefully let go of him. He swallowed thickly before wandering off to the bedroom to get packed.

James watched him go, sighing, then turned to the kitchen. He grabbed the pizza, placing a few pieces on a plate before sticking it into the microwave for a minute. He busied himself by making tea while the pizza was heated. When the microwave beeped, he removed the plate and placed a few of the pieces onto another before setting them both on the table. He walked over to call into the hall. "Food's ready, babe."

Q smiled a bit at the pet name and called back, "Just a minute!" He zipped up his bag, hoping he had everything he would need, and sat down on the bed. There was so much going through his head and he wished he had someone he could talk to. He couldn't talk to James because it was mostly about him. He couldn't talk to Eve because she would probably tell James. He could talk to his sister, but he didn't want to put her at risk. He let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair before going out to the kitchen.

James smiled as Q approached, though he noticed how tired he looked. "We'll eat and then I think it's time for you to go to bed." Q nodded as he sat down at the table, letting out a quiet sigh as he removed his glasses to rub his eyes. James brought their mugs over and set them on the table, watching Q closely. "Do you have a headache?"

"More like an everything-ache," Q sighed and took his mug, sipping from it.

"It's going to hurt for a while, but I can get you some paracetamol if you think it'll help you feel better?" James moved to stand even before Q nodded gratefully, going down the hall to search the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

Q managed to finish one piece before pushing his plate away, looking over his shoulder as James came back down the hall with a few pills that he deposited in front of Q. Q swallowed them with a sip of tea and smiled softly in thanks at James. He sighed softly and stood up, taking his plate to the sink. He began to wash the dishes, James moving to his side with his own plate to help. Q bit his lips softly before beginning to hum softly to himself.

When James heard, he stopped what he was doing and looked at Q, trying to hide his shock. "How do you know that song?"

Q turned and raised a brow at him. "What? Am I not allowed to like the Beatles?"

Bond relaxed a bit. "I was just wondering. No need to get defensive about it," he teased. He walked up behind Q, wrapping his arms around his waist and crooning in his ear. "Close your eyes and I'll kiss you… Tomorrow I'll miss you… Remember I'll always be true."

Q stopped washing the dishes for a moment and smiled as he leaned back into James. "So, that wasn't a dream, huh?"

Bond stiffened a bit. "You weren't supposed to be awake for that."

"The nightmare woke me," Q replied with a shrug. "I never said anything because I didn't want to embarrass you. And I thought it was kinda cute…"

James huffed, offended. "I am not cute." He slowly turned his head, mouthing at Q's neck and sliding his hands down to bracket Q's hips. "I can think of a few words, but cute is not one of them," he teased.

Q closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Bond's lips on his neck. Drying off his hands, Q turned and reached up to run his fingers through the older man's hair. "I think you have your moments."

Bond leaned into his touch, slipping his hands under Q's shirt to rest on his back. "If you tell someone, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you," he smiled, leaning in to kiss both of Q's cheeks before swooping in to kiss his mouth. Q let out a soft chuckle as he returned the kiss, wrapping his arm around the agent's shoulders.

James slipped his hands further up Q's back, tracing the tattoo that he knew was there. He crowded closer to him before pushing him back against the counter. Q gasped softly as he was pinned and arched his chest against Bond's, kissing him deeply. The agent hummed approvingly into the kiss, sliding one hand up to cradle Q's neck and comb through his dark curls. Q slid his hands down to Bond's chest, gently holding on to his shirt as he kissed him.

"Q," James murmured against his lips, twisting his mouth down to Q's neck and biting at his clavicles. "God," he slurred, sucking and nibbling a mark just under Q's clavicle. Q moved his hands up to run them through the agent's hair, gasping softly every time teeth came in contact with his skin.

James pinched Q's skin between his teeth as a slow moan slipped out, the feeling of Q's fingernails scraping his scalp sending sensation through his whole body. He moved back up to Q's lips, slipping his hand up to stroke Q's chest. Q sucked in a breath as James kissed him again and tugged on his short blond hair, moaning his name softly against his lips.

James growled, dragging his hands down to Q's hips and picking him up. He pulled Q's legs to wrap around his hips as he turned, walking them toward the hall and stopping to push Q up against the wall. Q held on tightly and let out a soft grunt as he was pushed back against the wall, their lips never parting.

The agent felt fever hot, unable to move from Q's lips and skin as he bit and licked and sucked. He finally pulled them away from the wall and steadily walked them toward Q's bedroom. Q held on tightly, running his fingers through Bond's hair as he kissed him hungrily, thankful for the distraction from his own mind.

James walked until his legs hit the bed and knelt forward, depositing Q gently on the bed. Leaning back, he looked down at his Quartermaster, taking in his flushed skin and lidded eyes. He drew his hands up from Q's hips to his knees, pushing them slowly out and down, spreading the younger man before him. "God, you're so lovely," he murmured as he leaned down to kiss him again, mouthing along Q's jaw until he can whisper, "Is this okay?" He plucked at the first button of Q's shirt. "We don't have to go farther than this if you're not comfortable."

"I…" Q bit his lip softly, unsure. He took a moment to think it over before nodding his head a bit. He just wanted to forget, even if he remembered everything that had happened all over again afterward. He needed to forget. "Yeah… Yeah, it's okay."

Bond slipped the button out, moving down to the next. "You're sure?"

Q nodded as he let out a shaky breath. "Please, James…"

James parted Q's shirt and mouthed at the patch of skin revealed, his fingers at the next button. "And now?" He glanced up at him, biting down.

Q nodded and stared up at the ceiling. He bit his lip softly and silently prayed that this would work.

Bond placed his fingers on the next button, but deviated, smoothing Q's shirt to the side so he can lick and suck at his nipple. "Okay?"

Q gasped softly and reached down to run his fingers through the agent's hair. "God, yes…"

Q's fingers in his hair sent shivers through Bond's body and he bit down on Q's nipple, pinching it between his teeth. His fingers move to undo the button and he paused again, letting go of Q's nipple to move to the other, thumbing over the first. "More?"

The Quartermaster's eyes fluttered to a close as he let out a soft, breathy moan, nodding his head eagerly. "Please… James…"

James finally got to the last button, undoing it and spreading Q's shirt wide. He slipped it off the younger man's shoulders and pushed it down his arms a bit, leaving it there. It's positioning acted as a bind, not allowing Q to move his arms much. "Comfortable?" Bond asked, running his hands up Q's chest to pinch his nipples and back down to his knees to gently spread his legs more.

"As comfortable as I can be with my arms like this," Q replied, starting to sound like himself again as he leaned up a bit to look at the older man.

James smirked, arranging the pillows behind Q to make it more comfortable for him to see. Leaning back again, the agent slowly trailed his fingers down Q's chest, making sure to swipe over his nipples again. When his fingers reached the waistline of Q's trousers, he paused, rubbing circles into the ridges of his hips. "And is this okay?" He asked, looking down at Q as he moved his hand to press on the zipper.

Q sucked in a breath as he looked up at James, biting his lip softly and nodding. He struggled a bit, trying to free his arms.

James brought his head down to mouth at Q's hip, fingers working quickly at his fly. "Lift for me," he whispered into Q's skin before slowly working Q's trousers down his legs. He slipped them off and slowly started to move back up, stopping to nibble gently at the inside of Q's knee and mouthing at the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. "Oh, look at you," James sighed, tugging the back of Q's shirt up to restrict him further.

Q gasped softly at all of Bond's little nips and touches, whimpering quietly as he forced himself to stay still. He wanted to touch him, to run his fingers through Bond's hair and over his tanned skin, but he couldn't move.

James grinned as he saw Q's struggles. "Do you want me to let you have your arms back, baby?" He crooned up at him, his fingers hooking into the elastic of Q's boxers and tugging down a bit as he pressed his nose into the crease between Q's leg and groin.

Q let out a shaky breath as he looked down to watch him. It took all he had not to move at all.

Feeling Q's eyes on him, James made eye contact, slowly turning his head to mouth along the straining fabric. "What do you want, love?"

"I want you to let my arms loose so I can touch you." His voice came out much stronger than he felt.

James smiled, leaning up to release Q's arms before unbuttoning his own shirt quickly and tossing it to the side, sliding back between Q's legs. He slid his hands underneath Q's thighs and around to the elastic of his boxers, pulling them down over the curve of Q's arse. Q lifted his hips to help him, focusing on keeping his breathing even. James teased Q's boxers off the rest of the way, tossing them aside. He grinned up at him, sliding down to hover over his groin. Keeping their eyes locked, James licked from the base of Q's cock to the tip, slipping just the head into his mouth.

"O-Oh…" Q closed his eyes for a moment as he threaded his fingers through Bond's hair, tugging on it lightly. He bit his lip and opened his eyes again to watch him.

Making sure he had Q's attention, James flicked his tongue over the head, sucking intently. He bobbed his head a few times, sliding down farther each time. When the head of Q's cock hit the back of his throat, James angled his head and bore down, suddenly swallowing down the last inch. He held there, holding Q's gaze.

Q bit his lip harshly and tilted his head back as he let out a low groan, gripping Bond's hair tighter in his fist. He slowly began to rock his hips into the agent's mouth. The agent moaned at the feeling, tightening his lips and relaxing his throat around him as he sucked, closed his eyes at the sensation.

Soft moans escaped from Q's lips as he squeezed his eyes shut, moving his hips a bit faster. His lips parted as he began to breathe erratically. James could feeling tears starting to leak from the corners of his eyes, gasping in air every time Q pulled out far enough. He watched the muscles of Q's abdominals twitch and he moved his hand between Q's legs, stroking his perineum and fondling the balls drawn tight to Q's body. He stroked his other hand up Q's stomach and chest to find and pinch at his nipple. Q arched up into his touch, gasping and moaning loudly as he harshly tugged on Bond's hair some more.

James moaned around his mouthful as best as he could as Q pushed his head down once more, holding him there. He could feel his lungs aching in protest, but didn't struggle, looking up at Q the best he could. Q's eyes shot open as he released into Bond's mouth, moaning loudly.

Bond swallowed around him as Q came, trying to push against Q's hands now, needing to breathe. He could feel Q pulse again, teased out from Bond's struggles, then pulled off, gasping as he was released.

Q felt the tension leave his body as he laid back on the bed, panting softly. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting his breathing slow. Finally, he leaned up on his elbows to look down at James, whose head was laying on his stomach.

James breathed shallowly, his throat sore and saliva and cum smeared across his lips and chin. He could feel arousal settled low in his belly, but ignored it, looking up to Q and licking his bruised lips.

Q gently ran his fingers through the agent's hair, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. "Roll over," he told him softly.

James pushed himself over, laying flat on his back, open and ready for Q's next order. He could feel his erection straining in his trousers. He sighed almost silently as Q moved to straddle his hips, leaning down to kiss him, then undoing the fastenings Bond's trousers. James groaned softly as the pressure was released finally, thrusting and grinding his hips slightly as he looked for any sort of contact.

"Shh…" Q massaged his hips gently before leaning up a bit to pull down the agent's trousers and briefs.

James lifted his hips, eyes squeezing shut as he tried not to whine at the sight of Q watching him while he was writhing and wanting like this. Q pulled the garments off completely and leaned down to kiss him again, wrapping his hand around Bond's cock and stroking him gently.

James gasped and bucked up into his Quartermaster's hand at the sensation. "Oh, god, please. Q, /please/," he whimpered, clenching his jaw and throwing his head back.

Q kissed down along the agent's jaw to his neck, nipping and sucking gently at his skin as James turned to give him more room. "Q, I- Ah!" He pulled Q's hand up to his mouth, quickly and thoroughly wetting it before pushing it back down to his cock, gasping at the slick feeling. "Yesyesyes! Yes, /god, Q/."

James breathed harshly through his nose, trying to control his volume. But, as Q added a twist around the head of his cock to each stroke, he mewled loudly, arching his back. Q ran his free hand over Bond's chest, gently playing with his nipple as he stroked him faster. James bucked up into his fist, unable to stop." Ah, ah, ah, ah!" He panted as he pulled Q's head back down, wanting to feel his Quartermaster's lips against his own.

Q pressed his lips to the older man's in a passionate kiss, nipping lightly at his lips as he continued to stroke him. James gasped into his mouth, his hips continuing to buck forward as he came, breath hitching. His eyes were glazed as he brought his arms up to pull Q to him, turning them both onto their sides. He loosely kissed Q, satisfaction ebbing through his body.

Q curled up against him and buried his face in the agent's neck, not caring about the mess between them. He wrapped his arms around James tightly, just wanting to be close to him.

James slowly caught his breath, pushing light kisses into Q's hair. He let his eyes slip shut, knowing they needed to clean up or they'd regret it in the morning. But he didn't want to move, comfortable in Q's arms.

Q closed his eyes and pressed light kisses to Bond's neck before rolling over to reach into the bedside drawer for some tissues to clean them up. Once they were clean, James moved up on the bed, pulling Q with him til they're up on the pillows. He laid on his back, half asleep already as he felt Q curl up into his side with his head on the agent's chest. He gently kissed his curls with a soft sigh of content.

Q gently laid his hand on Bond's chest, tracing all the little scars as he bit his lip softly. "So, when do we leave tomorrow?"

"The train leaves at ten," he mumbled into Q's hair.

Q nodded and kissed Bond's chest gently as he closed his eyes, draping his leg over the agent's. James smiled at the soft kiss and let his eyes close again as the two of them drifted off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

James awoke as the room brightened, the clock on the bedside table reading eight o'clock. He looked down at Q, where he had rolled so his head was on the agent's chest but his body was turned perpendicular to his. James smiled down at him and grabbed a pillow, moving smoothly from beneath Q's sleeping form and placing the pillow beneath his head before going to take a shower.

Q frowned in his sleep at Bond's absence with furrowed brows and hugged the pillow close. He buried his face into the pillow, subconsciously wishing it was James.

Finishing his shower, James went to see what Q had in the kitchen, quickly finding enough for French toast before starting the coffee.

Q awoke to the smell of coffee and got up, pulling on his robe before tying it around his waist. He wandered out to the kitchen, smiling softly when he saw the older man. He went over to him and carefully wrapped his arms around the agent's waist from behind, laying his head against Bond's back.

James looked up from where he was waiting for the toast to brown, placing his hands on top of Q's and looking back at him. "Morning, sleepyhead," he murmured, turning to press a kiss to Q's forehead, smiling.

"Morning…" He looked up at him with a smile, yawning. "French toast?"

James hummed in affirmation, flipping the bread and turning off the stove. He twisted around to face Q, cradling him in his arms.

Q smiled and leaned up to kiss Bond's chin. "Do I have time to shower, or should I wait?"

"You have time," James replied as he leaned back and turned the stove back on, making sure he was keeping half a thought on not burning the food. "I still have a few more pieces to make." He smiled and pressed a kiss to Q's lips.

Q smiled against his lips before pulling back with a nod. "Okay. I won't be long."

James turned back to the food as Q left. Checking the time, he made a note of when they would have to leave in order to catch the train and finished making their breakfast. He set it aside and moved to wash everything he had used to cook that morning.

Q kissed Bond's cheek when he returned, the agent leaning into him for a second before moving to get plates. "Ready to eat?" He handed the plates to Q and brought the food to the table before going back to get them both some coffee.

Q sat down at the table and took a piece of French toast. James sat across from him and handed him a mug, smiling softly as their fingers touched, before filling his plate and pouring some syrup over it. Q smiled back as he dipped his piece into his coffee and took a bite. Bond wrinkled his nose at this, but was glad to see the Quartermaster so relaxed.

Q smiled at him softly as he continued to eat. "So, do I get any hints as to where we're going?"

James looked up, casting for something to say. "It's… Somewhere you've mentioned to me before that you wanted to visit."

Q furrowed his brows, unsure of what he meant. "And I suppose you won't give me any more than that?"

Bond grinned at him. "Where would be the fun in that?" He glanced at the clock, finishing his food quickly. "We should leave soon."

Q nodded and took the last bite of his food, downing the rest of his coffee before refilling the cats' bowls. Bond's eyes widened suddenly. "What about your cats? Do you have someone to take care of them?"

"Eve said she'd take care of them," Q replied with a shrug before going to fetch his bag.

James nodded and checked his duffle, making sure he had everything he needed. He then waited for Q to return and pulled his shoes on.

Q returned with his bag and a small smile, but soon furrowed his brows. "We're not flying, are we?"

James bit his lip for a second, not responding in order to tease him, but shook his head. "No, we'll go by train." He opened the door for Q and snuck a peek at the papers Moneypenny had given him to see what kind of car they would be driving. "At least, at first."

Q locked the door behind them and shuddered a bit. "Your driving is almost as bad as flying."

They stepped onto the street and Bond hailed a cab, excited already. "I'll take it slow for you, hmm?" He winked at Q.

"Please do," Q said as a cab pulled over in front of them and he got in.

Getting in as well, James asked the driver to take them to the train station before leaning over to sling an arm around Q's shoulders. "I really don't understand why you're afraid of my driving. I'm always in control. You should ride with Alec sometime. His method of driving is causing chaos for kicks mostly." He threw the driver a couple of bills when they arrived and got out of the car, pulling Q with him. "Can you grab something for us to snack on? It's a good six hours there. I'll deal with the tickets."

Q nodded his head and reached over to give the agent's hand a light squeeze before heading off to find some food. He knew that James was trying to hide their destination from him, but he was determined to figure it out.

Bond got their tickets and moved to find the Quartermaster, pulling up a video on his phone as he did. He pulled out some headphones for Q as he approached. "Here, someone actually got footage of his driving. There's this part at 3:47 where he flips his car in order to turn." He smoothly transferred what Q was holding into his arms as he handed him his phone and led him onto the train and into a compartment. He put their luggage up and sat down, closing the door.

Q took a seat as he watched the video. "Why hasn't this been deleted? Why wasn't I informed of this? This could be used against him. He could get into a lot of trouble."

James smirked at him. "The only reason you're freaking out is because I told you it was him. Look at the title. The person calls him a stunt driver. And you can't see him through the windows of the car that /you/ designed for just that purpose. Don't worry about it. It's been up for ages. Those plates are untraceable, as is regulation. Alec just likes to use the safeguards to have a little more fun."

"Well, I'm informing M of this as soon as we get back. He can't be using my equipment recreationally like that." He handed the phone back to James.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told you," the agent smirked. "He's going to be pissed with me now. I'm pretty sure that M already knows, though. There was a while that is circulated through the desk workers, and I know Moneypenny has seen it." He leaned back in his seat, looking out the window as they left the city behind. "We're lucky today, it's beautiful. I hope the sun will stay out."

Q nodded with a small smile as he gazed out the window as well. "Yeah, everyone's always in a better mood when the sun's out… Especially my parents," he said as he glanced at James out of the corner of his eye.

"Your parents? You haven't told me much about them," he turned to look at Q. "Did your family do a lot during the summer?" He asked nonchalantly.

Q crossed his arms as he raised a brow at the agent, glaring. "Bond, I'm not an idiot. I know where we're going and I'm not happy about it… I mean, I am, but I don't agree with it"

James blinked at him slowly, debating whether or not to give in, but deciding it wasn't worth the tease. "How'd you figure it out?" He tilted his head to the side. "I know it will be hard, but you need them right now. Moneypenny got everything set up so we're not endangering them at all. I know it will be hard to move past some things, but you need this. At least admit that."

"It's been six years, James. I can't just show up after six years and expect everything to be okay, especially after leaving the way I did. I left without any warning. There's no way they're going to be okay with that."

James moved over to Q's seat, pulling him into his arms to try to help soothe him. "Q, they're your family and they love you. Even if you killed someone, they'd forgive you. They've probably been missing you and worried about you all this time. They might scold you at first, but they're going to be just as happy to see you as you're going to be to see them."

Q let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. "Oh, god. I… I can't believe I did that to them."

"Hey, it's okay. Shh…" James rocked him slightly, pulling him in closer. "They don't know it, but it''s been keeping them safe. When you see them, and when they see you, they will know that you didn't do it to them on purpose. They will forgive you."

The Quartermaster let out a shaky sigh and nodded a bit, pulling away to rub his eyes. "I wish I could've at least had some more time to heal before coming. I look like shit… Mum's going to cry when she sees."

James frowned, lightly smoothing his hands over Q's bruises. "I'll make sure she knows that they're a mark of how strong you are. And also that the people who did this to you have been.. Dealt with." He smiled harshly. "She doesn't need the details."

Q pulled away from Bond's touch and turned to watch out the window, biting his lips softly. James let him go, watching him for a moment, uncertainly. He didn't know how to comfort Q, but he knew that he needed this trip. Once they got there, Q would stop worrying and feel better. At least they weren't flying. James moved back over to his seat and checked the time. They had a few hours left and he pulled out their food. "Snack?" He asked, trying to distract Q.

Q didn't respond as he continued to stare out the window, his brows furrowed in deep thought. There was so much going through his mind that he couldn't pay attention to much else.

James moved forward until he was on the edge of his seat and nudged his legs between Q's, getting closer. He took Q's hands into his own, rubbing little circles with his thumbs. "Close your eyes and I'll kiss you," he sang. "Tomorrow I'll miss you. Remember I'll always be true. And then while I'm away, I'll write home everyday. And I'll send all my lovin' to you…" He gently tugged him forwards.

Q looked up at him with furrowed brows when he took his hands and swallowed thickly. He carefully moved forward and sat in Bond's lap when he pulled him closer, laying his head against the agent's shoulder.

James wrapped his arms around him, snagging his jacket from next to drape it over Q's shoulders. He could feel Q relaxing against him and was relieved he had gotten him to stop thinking, at least for the moment. "Get some rest, babe."

Q buried his face in Bond's neck as he curled up against him some more. He rubbed his eyes as he nodded a bit in response, closing them finally.

James hummed quietly for a while longer, feeling Q's breaths even out, then moved one arm out gently to set an alarm on his phone to wake them when they arrived at the station. He allowed his eyes to close and drifted off as well.


	17. Chapter 17

Q held onto the agent as he slept against him, waking when the alarm went off. He sat up straight and rubbed the sleep from his eyes before pecking Bond's lips gently to wake him.

James slowly blinked his eyes open, smiling when Q was the first thing he saw. "Hey," he whispered, leaning forward to kiss his Quartermaster. Q smiled softly against his lips before getting up to grab his bag.

Bond stood and stretched before grabbing his duffle and picking up anything else they had. He sat once more and waited until the train came to a stop, then walked off with Q. He grabbed his paper out of his duffle as they went to find the car rental booth.

Q followed James closely, looking around. It had been so long since he had been there last, but everything looked the same. It was almost as if no time had passed at all.

James gave the woman at the counter his papers and showed her the keys before following her to their car. "You want to drive?" He asked Q and then squinted at him. "Can you drive?"

"Of course I can drive," he replied with a roll of his eyes, taking the keys. "I'm twenty-seven, not seventeen."

"Yeah, but twenty-seven and from London? That doesn't say much." James shrugged. "There's the tube for a reason." He slid their things into the backseat before getting into the passenger's side. "Impress me, then, hmm?" He smirked. Q rolled his eyes at him as he got in and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

James smiled as he watched the world go by around them. It had been a while since he had been around that area. He glanced at Q, wondering if he knew anything about his past in the area. He probably did after Skyfall, but James wasn't going to bring it up. He glanced at his watch. "Right on schedule. We should get there on time as long as you don't slow us down with your grandma driving."

"Hey, you're the old one, remember?" Q raised a brow at James and continued driving, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he grew more and more nervous.

James scoffed at the comment. "I'm still kicking your arse. Don't think that age is an indicator I'd ever slow down." He noticed Q's clenched fingers and rested a hand on his for a second. "We're not trying to strangle the car. It's our friend, not the enemy."

Q rolled his eyes and batted Bond's hand away, mumbling, "I'm fine." He kept his eyes on the road and kept driving.

They went around the corner and saw the house coming up. The front door was open and they could see a group of people sitting and standing on the porch, obviously talking and laughing. James looked over at Q as they pulled up. The Quartermaster looked sick and James took his hand in silent support. "Ready?"

Q parked the car in the driveway and stared at his family until they noticed them. "Oh, god…" He ran his fingers through his hair. "And of course Callum's here, too," he grumbled softly to himself.

James scrutinized the group. "Would Callum be the ginger?"

"Yeah," Q sighed. "He's my sister's boyfriend, who I happened to have a huge crush on when we were in school."

Bond raised his brows. "He seems like a nice lad. Let's go meet him, yes?" He opened the door, getting out of the car before looking back in at Q. "Don't make me drag you. You know I will," he smirked.

Q glared at him before grabbing his bag out of the back and getting out of the car. He took a shaky breath as he stared ahead at his family.

James ducked into the back of the car and grabbed his duffle before closing the door and coming up beside Q, grabbing his hand casually. "Come on. You've got to introduce me."

"Oh, joy," Q replied dryly. "This is my boyfriend. He's nearly twice my age and kills people for a living."

James chuckled and pulled on Q's arm starting to tow him toward the group. "Yeah, and you help. You also help run the world's most dangerous spy agency. This is going to be a fun week." He smirked.

"We never did talk about a cover story," Q grumbled softly as he pulled his arm away from James and went right into the house. He went back to his old bedroom and dropped his bag, not bothering to stop and say hi just yet.

James blinked after Q, surprised by his actions, but carried on gamely. He walked up to Q's family, extended his hand to Q's father, who had stepped forward. "Hello, I'm James. It's a pleasure to-" James stopped suddenly as Q's father's grip tightened and he swung at him. The agent ducked the punch on instinct, deftly grabbing Q's father's arm and twisting it behind his back, trying to me gentle. "Ah. It's nice to meet you."

Q stepped back out onto the porch and froze when he saw the agent holding his dad. "Fucking hell, James! Let him go!" He rubbed his forehead, sighing in exasperation. "God, I can't leave you alone for two minutes without you getting into a fight."

Bond slowly let go, quickly taking a step back. "It's all fine. We're just getting to know each other. Why don't you introduce me, see if that goes over better?"

Q rolled his eyes at him with a sigh. "James, Mum and Dad… Mum and Dad, James."

James cautiously stepped forward again, this time offering his hand to Q's mum. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs?" James watched Q's dad out of the corner of his eye, slightly alarmed. He didn't think this was how meeting the parents was supposed to go and he was suddenly worried at how the rest of the week would go.

"Tyler," Q told him, watching his mum as she turned her gaze to him. James dropped his hand and moved to the side as she walked past him and went over to Q, carefully reaching out to place her hand on Q's bruised cheek, but Q flinched away from her touch. He hated that she had to see him like this.

James watched carefully as she approached Q, making sure that he was alright before moving on to give them some privacy. "You must be Margaret and Callum," he said as he shook Callum's hand before kissing Margaret's. "So nice to meet you." He tried not to glance back at Q.

Q bit his lip softly and looked away as his mum brushed his hair away from his face. He could feel the sting of tears in his eyes. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath before stepping forward to hug her tightly, crying softly into her shoulder. He pulled away from his mum after a short while, wiping his eyes as he murmured apologies. His dad pulled him in for a brief hug as well while Q glanced over at James.

Meanwhile, Q's sister corrected James, telling him to call her Maggie instead. James nodded, trying to pay attention before breaking. He turned to look at Q, their eyes connecting. "Okay?" He mouthed to him silently, holding his gaze. Q sniffled softly as he pulled away from his dad and wiped his eyes.

James winced and turned back to Maggie. She looked him over, then said straightforwardly, "You really care about him, then?"

He looked her in the eye. "More than I have ever cared for someone in my life."

She nodded. "So, when did you two meet?"

"A few years ago," James offered. "It was during a time of stress for our company and we bonded over the shared adversity. Normally we wouldn't have met because I'm what amounts to a traveling salesman, but we shared a project and fell in together as friends rather easily."

Maggie nodded again as she looked over Bond's shoulder at Q. James followed her gaze before turning back to her and Callum. "It looks like they're done. Would you like to go join them?" The two nodded and James went to stand next to Q, wrapping an arm around his waist as he leaned in to murmur in his ear. "Feeling better?"

Q nodded a bit as he leaned against him, taking a deep breath before reintroducing James to his parents. "This is my boyfriend, James Bond. James, these are my parents, David and Katherine Tyler."

James smiled at Q's parents. "I like your introduction, but I do think mine was more of a /hit/." He kept a straight face as he heard Maggie start to laugh somewhere behind him. Q nudged him in the ribs with his elbow, not amused at all. James broke, grinning widely. "You don't appreciate my humor. I'm offended," he pouted cartoonishly.

"Your humor is fine," Q told him. "What I don't appreciate is you getting in a fight with my father as soon as you walked through the door."

James tensed a bit. "I didn't exactly throw the first punch, Q" He didn't want to throw Q's father under the bus, but he had only seen the end of the fight. He still had no idea what had provoked his father to try and deck him in the first place.

"Dad?" Q looked over at his father with furrowed brows, confused beyond belief. "Why… Why would you do that?"

James inhaled sharply, not expecting Q to question his father. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure there was just a misunderstanding." He tried to dissolve the situation. "Let's just put this behind us, yeah?"

Q kept his eyes on his dad as he nodded, rubbing his face. "Okay. Yeah. You're right."

James stroked Q's back soothingly, relaxing slowly. "I'd like to take my things in. Maybe you could show me around the house, too?" Q sniffled again and nodded, taking his hand to lead him back to his old bedroom.

The agent place his duffel on the floor near Q's bed before turning to wrap him in a hug. "I'm sorry. I probably could have handled that better." He gently tilted Q's head up a bit to peck his lips. "Can you tell me about this place?"

Q shrugged a bit as he leaned forward to rest his head on Bond's shoulder. "What do you want to know?"

James hummed, looking around the room. "What did you like to do as a kid?"

"Computer work, mostly," he replied with a shrug. "My sister and I did a lot of stuff with music."

James smiled at him, surprised. "Do you play an instrument?" He asked as he glanced around the room, looking for one.

"Piano," he nodded. "I hated it when I first started, but I learned to love it."

He smiled down at Q. "Will you play something for me?"

"Maybe later," Q replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Is that a prom-" James started to answer, but stopped when Maggie suddenly barged into the room.

Q stepped away from Bond and looked over at his sister with furrowed brows. "Maggie?"

She closed the door behind her. "So, are you going to tell me the fucking truth? I know Mum and Dad believe your bullshit, but you can't lie to me, /Billy/" She turned to point at James. "You aren't a salesman. And I can't believe you would try to lie to me."

"First of all," Q raised a finger at her, "don't call me that. Second of all, I don't know what you're talking about." He prayed silently that she would believe him.

Maggie huffed out a laugh. "You're kidding, right? You have the flimsiest story I've ever heard! You're trying to tell me that you took some nine to five /desk job/? And you left us for six years with no notice, I'll call you whatever I want! Tell me the truth."

Q sighed softly, knowing he couldn't hide the truth from her forever. "Fine...I'm the head of MI6's tech department and he's a field agent. Please don't tell Mum and Dad."

Maggie blinked at him. "You're… Oh, my god, you're spies?!" A bewildered laugh burst from her lips. "That's so… Wow, that's insane! I can't believe you were going to hide this from me!" She hugged Q, surprising both him and James. "I'm so proud of you!"

Q smiled a bit as he returned her embrace, surprised that she took it so well. "Just promise that you won't tell Mum and Dad. It's bad enough that you know. I can't put them in danger, too."

She shook her head. "Of course I won't tell them, you dolt. I'm almost offended that you don't trust me, but I can see why you're so paranoid. Also," she lowered her voice so James almost couldn't hear. "Congratulations on him. A field agent? Nice."

Q bit his lip at her words, his face heating up as he glanced back at James. There was a knock at the door and he looked up to see his mum. "Dinner's ready," she told them and Q reached over for Bond's hand before leading him out of the room.

James followed Q quietly, letting him lead while he looked over the rest of the house. He pulled out a chair for Q and sat, filling his plate as he listened to the conversations going on around him. Suddenly, Q's mum spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "So, Will, how did you meet James? He seems… Well, that is," she spluttered momentarily, flustered. "Mature?"

Bond raised his brows, leaning back in his chair. "Huh," he muttered, not taking his eyes off of her. She wouldn't make eyes contact with him.

Q nearly choked on his food when his mum had finished her sentence. Coughing softly, he took Bond's hand, more to keep him from doing something stupid than anything. "Mum!" He scolded her softly before clearing his throat to answer her question. "We met at work."

James let Q take his hand and slid his chair closer to him, never looking away from Q's mum. When she still wouldn't look at him, he held his position and switched to eating with his left hand.

Q glared at her some more as his dad began to speak. "He just doesn't really seem to be your type," he said nonchalantly.

Q turned his head to him with an exasperated sigh. "First of all, he's sitting /right next to me/. Second, what do you mean, he's not my type?"

His father cleared his throat. "Where did all those bruises come from?"

Q stared at his dad. He couldn't believe what he was implying. "I… I…"

James interrupted, his low voice cutting smoothly across everything. "Those bruises are reminders of his bravery in the face of terrorism. He was kidnapped by a group that wished to know secrets about our company and he did not break." He turned to Q, slowly placing his hand on the side of his face. "I brought him here to heal from the experience, but maybe that wasn't as much of a good idea as I thought." He turned toward Q's parents. "Whatever you think of me, I don't care, but I will not stand for you dismissing Q's strength." He's furious, but keeps a calm facade.

Q bit his lip, clenching his fists as everyone at the table remained quiet. He feel all of their eyes on him as his hands shook and he struggled to keep his composure. He closed his eyes as he took in a shaky breath. "I…" He didn't finish his sentence as he stood abruptly and left the table, going outside for some air.

James stood with Q, but hesitated, not sure whether to follow or not. "Stay," came a low voice from across the table. Bond looked over to see Callum standing and making his way around the table. "I've got it." James sat slowly as he watched him go.

Q sat on a swing in the backyard, trying to stay calm. He couldn't believe what had happened and all he wanted now was a cigarette. Unfortunately, he had left his pack in his bedroom. He wasn't surprised when Callum sat on the swing next to him. Q stayed quiet a moment longer before letting out a sigh. "You don't happen to have a cigarette on you, do you?"

Callum chuckled softly and patted his jacket before pulling a pack out of his pocket. "I thought you quit?" He asked, taking one out for himself as well. Taking out a light, he held it out for Q, leaning in close.

Q put the cigarette in his mouth and leaned in toward the flame to light it before pulling back and taking a long drag. "I indulge once in awhile when I can't calm myself."

Callum huffed out a cloud of smoke in a laugh. "Now is a particularly good excuse for one, I think." He took a drag. "Your Bond, seems a nice fellow. Seems to care for you quite a lot."

"Yeah," Q nodded with a slight smile. "I owe him a lot. I mean, I'd literally be dead if it weren't for him."

Callum turned to him, eyebrows raised. "This sounds like an interesting story. Does it have something to do with that terrorist bit he mentioned?"

The Quartermaster nodded as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Yeah… He saved me and he's hardly left my side since."

Callum narrowed his eyes, blowing smoke up at the night sky. "Seems like something the authorities would be more a part of then a salesman," he mused. "So, he saved you, brought you to a stressful home, and won't leave your side. Do you feel it's too much? Do you want to ask him to give you some space? And before you answer that, consider if you are ready and willing to commit to it."

Q shook his head at him a bit. "I mean, it can be a little overwhelming at times, but… I feel safe with him. That's what I need most right now. And he puts up with all of my emotional outbursts without question… He knows what I need before I do."

"He sounds like you made him online in one of your computer games," Callum smiled. "Did you wish really hard?"

Q smiled a bit at that and shook his head. "No… I guess that's just what happens after being in each other's head for six years."

Callum made a face, picking apart another part of the story they had told them. "So, what's an online security head doing working closely with a travelling salesman?" He smirked at him. "You don't have to tell me the truth, but you can at least drop that rag."

"All I can tell you is that we work for the government." Q took another long drag from his cigarette, the nicotine calming his nerves.

Callum shook his head, marvelling at how the lad he had known from school had grown into the man sat next to him now.


	18. Chapter 18

The table was silent for a good minute after Q and Callum left and Bond went back to eating. "The food is delicious, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler."

Maggie suppressed a laugh as her mother stared out in Q's general direction. "How long has he been like this?"

James clenched his fist under the table. "Ever since he was kidnapped. But he's gotten better. The group that did this to him was… Taken care of. So, he's no longer in danger. But he's only just started to act like himself again and I don't think he'll be truly better until the bruises fade." He took a deep breath. "I've just tried to be there for him as much as I can, and I think it's been helping."

Q's mum nodded as she struggled to hold back tears at the thought of what her son had been through. Her husband took her hand in an attempt to comfort her before addressing Bond. "So, um… The age difference doesn't bother you?"

James blinked at him, nonplused. "No, it doesn't. When I first met him, it was a bit of a shock. He was replacing someone that had been with the company for a number of years who I had worked with as well. But once he took the spot and became head of the department, he gained everyone's respect very quickly. You would be very proud of the work he's done."

Q's father nodded slowly. "I, uh… I suppose I owe you an apology as well."

James nodded quickly. "I accept your apology. I wish it hadn't been an issue, but I understand your reaction." He fidgeted subconsciously, glancing towards the door through which Q had disappeared.

"You could probably go see him now, if you want," Maggie said to him. "They've got to be done talking it out by now."

James nodded to her, standing quickly. "Excuse me." He left the table, slipping out the back door and leaning back against it for a moment as he let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He strolled over to the swings slowly.

Q looked up when he heard the door open and smiled when he saw him. "Hey."

James leaned down and kissed the top of Q's head. "Feeling better?" He watched as Q brought the cigarette up to his mouth and inhaled slowly, mimicking Q's inhale.

Q nodded as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Yeah… This helps."

The agent cleared his throat and turned away, forcing himself to stop watching the smoke slickly falling from Q's lips. "Your father apologized. We talked, so hopefully there won't be any more issues there." He mistakenly looked down at Q, now captivated by the way his jaw worked when he took a drag and how pale his skin looked in the moonlight. Bond swallowed roughly and looked up at the sky.

Q watched him closely as Callum finished off his cigarette and headed back inside. "You alright?"

James cleared his throat. "Fine," he said roughly, shifting and rolling his shoulders a bit as he tried to calm down, but the smoke pervades the air around him. He tugged a bit at his collar, feeling overheated.

Q watched him closely, a bit worried as he finished off the cigarette. "Are you sure? You don't seem alright."

Bond shuddered, the night air suddenly feeling chilly. "I… I don't know. I feel.. Hot. Tight."

Q dropped the cigarette in the dirt and stomped it out before standing and looking at James, his brows furrowed. He gently placed a hand on Bond's forehead. "You don't have a fever… What's going on?"

The agent closed his eyes and pressed into Q's hand. "I feel like I'm on a mission, but I don't know why. There's nothing wrong, but my body's reacting as if I'm going to be attacked." He opened his eyes, frustrated.

Q frowned and carefully wrapped his arms around Bond's waist. "You're here with me. We're both safe."

James pressed his face into Q's neck and inhaled, then paused. He pressed a kiss to the crook of Q's neck, then another a little higher up. "Tonight was stressful. I missed this. Maybe that's it, residual adrenaline?"

Q nodded his head a bit as he held onto him, rubbing his back gently. "It should be easier from here. Hopefully my dad won't try to punch you again."

Bond shook his head. "I don't think he'll try that again. It didn't have a very good outcome for him the first time," he smirked.

"Great first impression, by the way." Q pulled back a bit to look up at him.

"It wasn't my fault, he just up and swung at me! I was only trying to introduce myself. And I was very gentle, really."

"I'm sure you were," Q chuckled as he took his hand and led him inside.

James followed behind him, pretending to grump, but he really just glad that Q was laughing again. He smiled when Q looked back at him as they entered the house. The table had been cleaned up and everyone sat in the living room. James continued to follow as Q led him over to the open loveseat, putting his arm around the Quartermaster as they sat. He quietly listened to the conversations around them, letting it become background noise. He smiled down at Q, loving having him in his arms. He looked around the room casually, suddenly spying something. "Hey, Q? Didn't you say you'd play me something?" James smirked at the baby grand in the corner of the room as everyone started agreeing with him. He could /feel/ Q's glare on the side on his face.

Q continued to glare at him a moment longer before standing up and muttering, "I hate you…" He sighed softly as he went over to the piano and took a seat on the bench.

"No, you don't," James said at Q's retreating figure before standing to follow, leaning against the wall next to him.

Q took a deep breath as he placed his hands on the keys, feeling even more self-conscious with Bond standing over him. After a moment, he began to play, and then to sing. "I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath. I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath. I wanna be known by you…"

James blinked, completely thrown. Q's nimble fingers danced across the keys, playing a song that the agent didn't know, hadn't expected. Q's voice was strong and sad, and James watched him, completely mesmerized as he carefully listened to the lyrics.

"Though I'm weak and beaten down, I'll slip away into the sound. The ghost of you is close to me. I'm inside out. You're underneath." Q continued playing through the song until he finally reached the last chord. He placed his hands on his knees and stared down at the ivory keys, nervous about what the agent thought.

James couldn't move for a second, then sat next to Q on the bench. He pulled him into his arms and pressed a kiss into his curls. "That was beautiful," he said, then murmured into Q's ear. "You're not gone and and you'll never be gone. I /know/ you."

Q sighed softly as he leaned against James for a moment before pulling away. He stood up and went back to his bedroom, not wanting to deal with his emotions.

Bond stared after him, still a bit dazed, then was interrupted. "Well, we're going to start getting ready for bed, then," Q's mum said.

Maggie and Callum got up, too, and James followed their lead, going up to Q's room. He knocked lightly on the frame and pushed the door open, finding Q sitting on the bed. He stepped in, shutting the door behind him. "Looks like it's bedtime."

"Feels like it, too," Q nodded as he rubbed his eyes gently, suppressing a yawn. He was so emotionally exhausted. He began to unbutton his cardigan before starting on the buttons of his shirt.

James joined him in getting ready, making quick work of his shirt and trousers. He then searched through his duffel for the pyjamas he had brought.

Q finished getting ready just as there was a knock at the door. He glanced over at James, making sure he was decent before opening the door to find his parents. He spoke to them softly before closing the door again with a sigh.

James looked through his travel bag until he heard the door close. He looked up at Q with a sigh. "What's up?"

"Mum and Dad would prefer if you slept on the couch," he sighed. "It's nothing personal, it's just… They're… Traditional."

James frowned and pursed his lips, thinking of bringing up the fact that Maggie and Callum were definitely sharing a bed tonight. He shook his head. "Fine," he sighed and went over to Q, wrapping his arms around him tightly. "Do I at least get a goodnight kiss?"

Q smiled a bit and placed his hands on Bond's chest with a nod. "Well, I suppose."

The agent leaned in, kissing him thoroughly. "Sweet dreams, baby. I'll see you in the morning," he said, pressing their foreheads together before pressing another kiss to Q's lips.

The Quartermaster nodded and forced a small smile, not looking forward to spending the night alone. "Goodnight, James."

He gave Q one last peck on the forehead before reluctantly walking out. Glancing to the side, he saw Q's mum standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Probably waiting for me, he thought a tad bitterly. "Goodnight, ma'am," he said as he walked down the stairs to the couch, finding blankets and pillows folded on top. He laid them out and sat on the couch, resigning himself to what would probably be a night with no sleep.

Q got comfortable in bed despite the empty space next to him and closed his eyes. He hadn't spent a night alone since he was kidnapped and he wasn't sure he was ready for that yet.

Bond fidgeted with his balisong, trying to relax, but he couldn't. All he could think was that Q was somewhere else, away from him. He knew nothing could happen, but that didn't make him feel any better.

Q eventually managed to drift off the sleep but was awoken by a nightmare a few hours later. His body trembled as he hugged his knees to his chest, trying to stay calm. Finally, he got up and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders before wandering into the living room.

James stared at the ceiling, not sleeping but not really aware, still flipping his knife. He jolted a bit as he saw Q, dropping the knife on the table as he stood and went over to him. "Nightmare?" He asked, carefully wrapping his arms around his Quartermaster.

Q nodded and laid his head on Bond's shoulder, burying his face in his neck. He gripped the agent's shirt tightly as he was led to the couch to sit down, settling with his head on Bond's chest.

James began to sing to him softly. He smiled softly when he felt Q relax in his arms, continuing to sing even when his breaths evened out. He finally dozed off sometime in the early morning.


	19. Chapter 19

"You know, when I said dance, this is not what I meant," James said a bit sharply as he took a sip from his vodka martini.

"Oh, come on, James! This is fun!" Q grinned at him. "I used to come here all the time when I was in school!"

Bond debated the merits of picking up the table and using it as a shield to block the people who couldn't seem to stop bumping against him, even though there was a whole meter of clear space on the other side of them. "Oh, it's a blast."

The agent scanned over the crowded nightclub Q and Maggie had brought him to. After the awkwardness of Q's homecoming and James' introduction, they had decided some time to catch up and relax would be a good idea and James had agreed to the idea of going dancing. He should have known better than to assume their definitions of "dancing" lined up.

Already a few drinks in, Maggie and Callum had disappeared to the dance floor, leaving James with a steadily-becoming-more-drunk Q. James didn't mind as much as he was acting, though. He looked across the table at Q's flushed cheeks and wild hair, coupled with pants that looked like they were painted on and a fitted black shirt that showed off Q's pale skin.

Q rolled his eyes at him as he downed the rest of his drink, revelling in the warm buzz that was coming over him. "Come on. Come on, James. Come dance with me." He stood and took the agent's hand.

James resisted for a second to down the rest of his drink, knowing he might regret it, but allowed the younger man to pull him to the dancefloor. He started to relax as the alcohol pulsed through his bloodstream and he could feel the energy of the club creeping into him a bit. He allowed it, letting his body start to move in time with the ridiculous music until Q stopped and turned to him.

Q began to dance, slightly off beat in his drunkenness but he didn't care. He just wanted to forget all of his troubles and have a good time. He stood close to James as he danced, keeping one hand on his waist at all times so he didn't lose him in the crowd. Q was practically grinding on him due to the amount of people in the small area.

James moved with him, despite his disinterest in the music. He was starting to enjoy himself, but that had more to do with the way that Q was grabbing at him and rolling his hips than the atmosphere. He grabbed Q's hips and flipped him quickly, pulling Q's back against his front. He wrapped one arm around Q's waist, the other smoothing over Q's chest. "Hmm, you look delectable," James murmured into Q's ear so he could hear him over the music. He kissed down the side of Q's neck, ending with a nip to the junction of his neck and shoulder.

Q let out an obscene moan, not caring if anyone heard. He began to push his arse back against Bond's hips more, grinding roughly against him. He slipped a hand up into the older man's hair and gripped it tightly as he craned his neck to the side.

James gasped at his actions, letting out an answering moan and sinking his teeth into Q's neck, pulling him into him. "Oh, you… Oh, you fucking tease," he gasped out, biting the lobe of Q's ear.

Q let out soft gasps and pants, feeling his face flush from the alcohol and arousal. "O-Oh… Oh, fuck, James… James, fuck me. Please…" Q whined softly as he began to grind back against him more.

The agent groaned deeply, Q's words seeming to travel straight to his cock. He quickly started to lead him off the dancefloor, finding the bathrooms and pushing Q towards them. All the while, he kept up a string of words, interspersing them with kisses and bites to Q's neck. "God, Q, you're driving me insane. Just look at you. You're flushed so prettily. This is what you wanted when you brought me here, hmm? To make me crazy over you?"

"Would you really complain if it was?" Q asked softly as he held the agent close to him, gasping and moaning softly as Bond attacked his neck.

James chuckled darkly, shoving the door closed behind them and locking it. "No. Never. It would be a fucking crime to not want this." He impatiently unbuttoned Q's shirt, nearly ripping out a few, but he finally pushed it open and began mouthing and biting down to Q's nipple. His hands were busy reaching to grab Q's arse, the tight skinny jeans Q was wearing hardly a barrier. "You're not wearing any pants?"James nearly whimpered, resting his forehead against Q's chest for a moment, panting.

Q bit his lip softly and held back a moan as he ran his fingers through Bond's hair. "Oh, I definitely am wearing pants," he smirked.

James frowned, confused. He made quick work of Q's button and zip before stepping back enough to see. "Oh…" He whispered, mesmerized by the sight before him. "Q…" He nearly whimpered, sliding his hands under Q's jeans to push them down so he could see better. "These are… God…" The agent couldn't think straight, captivated, much less ask why Q was wearing /lacy panties/.

Q bit his lip as he looked down at him. "Do you like them?" He asked in a bit of a slur. "I got them just for you."

James fell to his knees like his strings had been cut. He'd probably regret that later, but all that mattered now was Q. "Baby, /Q/, you're so incredible. You look so good. I can't describe how amazing you look to me right now." He was barely aware of what was coming out of his mouth. Finally, James leaned in to mouth at the thin lace adorning Q's hip, squeezing Q's arse as he worked a mark into the skin there. "Look at you. These must be so tight. They can barely hold you, lovely." He grabbed the edge of the lace with his teeth, pulling it down just enough to expose the head of Q's cock.

Q gasped and writhed under Bond's touch, tugging on the agent's hair in desperation. Each one of his touches felt ten times more intense in Q's drunken haze.

James pressed a kiss to the head of Q's cock, lapping at the precome before pulling back and blowing cool air across it. He moved down, mouthing at Q's shaft through the thin layer of lace. He finally started to pull the panties down, tired of them blocking his way. He let them fall to where Q's jeans were still stuck around his knees. He quickly moved back in, using one hand to push Q's hips back as the other grabbed and stroked his cock. James slowly dipped his head down to suck at Q's balls, laving at them with his tongue.

Q arched his hips against him, letting out a loud, high-pitched moan and hearing it echo off the walls. Soft pants and whines escaped from his lips as James continued. Q gripped his shoulder tightly with one hand, his other in the agent's hair.

James hummed in pleasure as Q's fingers tightened in his hair. He moved back to take just the head of the younger man's cock into his mouth, slowly stroking the rest of his shaft with his hand as he sucked on the head, flicking his tongue over the tip. He could feel the muscles in Q's legs shaking with the hand he had braced against Q's thigh, and smirked.

Q continued to pant and mumbled incoherently as he felt a warmth beginning to grow in his stomach. He was so close and knew that he wouldn't be able to last much longer.

Bond could see the Quartermaster's orgasm coming and stopped teasing. He bobbed his head, taking in more of Q and swallowing him to his base before pulling off. He dragged his teeth carefully up Q's shaft and sucked hard. He repeated the move faster, knowing Q was almost there.

Q bucked his hips as he cried out, suddenly releasing into the agent's mouth. He slumped back against the wall, breathing heavily.

James swallowed quickly, pulling off of Q's cock so he wouldn't become oversensitive. He reached down to his own trousers, trying to unbutton and unzip them quickly, his hips rolling to the beat of the music thudding through the walls. Q pulled him up to capture his lips in a heated kiss as he tried to help him get his trousers down. James groaned into his mouth, trying not to buck into Q's hands until they got his trousers down far enough. "Yes," the agent hissed as Q finally pulled his cock out.

Q began to stroke him gently as he moaned against his lips desperately. "James… James, ohh… Fuck me. Please. I need you so bad."

James pulled back to look him in the eyes. "No." He leaned in to nip at Q's neck and breathe into his ear. "I won't fuck you in a bathroom stall. When I do fuck you, I'm going to take you apart slowly. I'm going to kiss every inch of your body. It's not going to be some hurried fuck in a place like this. Do you understand? It's not that I don't want to, because, /god/ do I want to. But it's not going to be with no lube and you drunk off your arse." He pressed a kiss to Q's lips almost sweetly.

Q grinned up at him drunkenly and pressed kisses all over the agent's face. "Oh, James. You're always such a gentleman," he giggled softly as he slumped against him a bit. James rolled his eyes, trying not to thrust at the new pressure of Q's body against his own, although any friction felt good. "You're so good to me, James," Q mumbled. "I just want to keep you forever." He wrapped his arms around the agent tightly.

James wrapped his arms around the younger man with a smile, amused by his actions. "You have me forever," he murmured into Q's hair, trying not to let him hear.

Q hummed softly and looked down between them. "Oh! What do we have here?"

James started laughing into Q's neck, unable to help himself. He took Q's head in his hands and kissed him again, amused.

Q returned the kiss with a giddy smile before pulling back. "Come on, Jamesy. Let me help you."

James smiled down at Q, letting out a breath at how he looked. "Okay, then." He raised his eyebrows with a smirk, watching as Q brought his hand up to his mouth, licking it sloppily before reaching down to stroke him. Bond bit his lip, unable to find a rhythm with Q's uneven wanking. He was so close, the friction driving him insane, but he couldn't come from this. "Q," he whined in frustration, grinding his head into Q's shoulder.

"Hmm?" Q looked down between them again. "Are you having issues, Jamesy? Is it because you're getting old?"

The agent pushed Q suddenly against the wall, thrusting into Q's hand that was trapped between them. "The only trouble in this room is you driving me so crazy." He bit Q's neck sharply, speaking around the pinned skin. "I know you did this on purpose, babe."

Q yelped softly when James bit him. "I don't know what you're talking about," he huffed.

James grinned around Q's skin, pulling back slowly and kissing over it to help soothe the sting. "So you're saying, that is. Taking me here, dancing on me like you did, saying those dirty words to me, that all wasn't trying to get me here? Because I know, I know that that is a lie," he sang into Q's ear. "You want to know how I know this?" He kissed up Q's neck, still rolling his hips.

Q hummed softly at the feeling of Bond's lips on his neck, nodding quickly. "Tell me, James. I want to know."

James ran his lips up and down Q's neck for a moment, sliding his hands down to Q's hips. "Those lacy little panties told me, Q." He nipped the lobe of Q's ear gently. "That's how I knew that all of this was on purpose."

"Maybe I just like wearing lacy panties?" Q asked as he looked down to watch James thrust into his hand. "I'll have to go out and buy more now that I know how much you like them," he giggled.

James gasped into Q's neck, his mind stuck on a loop of Q wearing lacy panties under his clothes all the time. His hips stutted in the movements at the possibilities Q's words outline as it finally tips him over the edge with a groan.

Q giggled softly and pecked Bond's lips before looking down between them again. "Aw, James! You got it all over my jeans! Now everyone's going to see!"

James panted a little, pulling back to see slowly bruising marks on Q's neck. He giggled a little, endorphins trickling through his system. "That's not the only thing they're going to see. You might want to make an excuse to wear a scarf. Ah, sorry."

"Fine. But you get to explain it to my parents," Q smirked and kissed Bond's chin before pulling up his jeans.

The agent nodded, grinning. "If they get the courage to ask me instead of just passive aggressively making comments." He straightened his clothes, scratching the stubble on his chin. "Well, let's go see where your sister and Callum have gone. I'd like another drink while we're at it, too."

"Mmm… Me, too. But first." Q pulled James close and kissed him sloppily. He let go after a moment and stumbled out of the bathroom, back to the table.

James stared after him, bemused, but followed him to the table after a moment, order each of them another drink. "Do you see them?" Q nodded in their direction and James glanced over to find them looking just as dishevelled as they did. James looked them up and down as they came closer, but said nothing, merely sending them a knowing wink as he received their drinks.

Q leaned against James, gazing up at him as he ran his fingers through the agent's hair. "James, you're really pretty."

James leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Q's lips. "So are you, lovely." He grinned at Q and cuddled him to his chest, enjoying his drunk temperance. James took a sip of his drink, noting not to let Q have much more alcohol.

Q began to giggle softly, paying no attention to Maggie and Callum as they watched them. "Hey, James. James, guess what? I have a secret to tell you."

The agent chuckled and leaned down to be closer to Q's face. "Yeah? What's that?"

Q pressed his face close and whispered, "I think I'm falling in love with you."

James pulled back sharply, looking into Q's eyes, shocked. "Q, you're drunk," he said a bit roughly, his heartbeat picking up.

"Yeah…" Q nodded, giggling softly. "Yeah, I am soooo drunk. I'm so drunk. So drunk."

"Okay." Bond relaxed a bit. "That's right. You're very drunk. Actually, we should probably get you home." He glanced at Maggie, who nodded.

Q stood up suddenly, swaying a bit before falling into Bond's lap. "Oh, hi there."

James caught him and stood, helping Q keep his balance. "Come on, genius. Let's take you home and get some water in you." Q leaned against him more, giggling as Bond led him out of the club.

They quickly grabbed a cab home, trying to keep Q quiet as they reached the house. "Shh, come on," James said quietly. "Let's not wake your parents."

A soon as they entered the hose, Q called out, "Mum! Dad! We're home!"

James groaned exasperatedly as lights flicked on upstairs. He hitched Q's arm further over his shoulder as he pulled him toward the stairs, intent on getting lots of water into him despite anyone else.

Q giggled more as he slumped against James. When they got to his room, Q plopped himself down on the bed, pulling Bond down with him.

James tried not to lay directly on top of Q as he was suddenly yanked down. "Q, slow down, babe. I need to get a few things. Why don't you get changed into your pyjamas, hmm? If you're done by the time I get back, I'll give you a reward." He kissed Q's nose and pulled away.

Q smiled, his face flushed as he tried to get up. He managed to sit up and began to fumble with the buttons of his cardigan.

James smirked down at him, wanting to kiss Q again but knowing he had to leave now or he'd just get caught up in the younger man again. He went to the kitchen, grabbing two glasses and filling them with water, then stopping in the living room to get his pyjamas. He turned to go back upstairs and saw Q's mum standing at the top. She doesn't say anything, but James muttered, "I'm so sorry." He walked past her to return to Q's room.

Q had managed to remove his cardigan and t-shirt on his own. He struggled to get his jeans undone, mumbling and giggling softly to himself.

James stepped in, closing the door behind him when he saw Q's state. He leaned in the doorway for a moment, unable to look away from the sight Q made. He stepped forward, setting the glasses on the bedside table so they were out of Q's reach, and knelt before him. "Need some help?" He murmured. Q nodded in response, pouting at James as he continued to struggle with his jeans. James stilled Q's hands with his own, placing them on the bed next to Q. Quickly sliding the jeans off, he leaned back on his heels to look at him. Bond's mind flashed back to what Q had said before. An ache lodged itself in the agent's ribcage. He was just drunk.

Q looked up at him through dark lashes. Biting his lip softly, he removed his glasses and set them aside on the bedside table.

James grabbed the shirt that Q would be wearing to bed and helped him slip it on before pressing a kiss to the younger man's forehead. He sat next to him, grabbing the glass of water and urging Q to lean closer to him. "Come on. If you don't drink this, you'll feel like utter shit tomorrow." He teased the whole glass into Q, little by little, and set it aside when he was done.

Q laid back and pulled James down with him. "I… Let's… Let's sleep. You should sleep. You don't sleep enough."

James let Q pull him down, arranging them so they're on their sides. "I don't need to sleep as much as you do. But if you go to sleep, I will, too."

He watched as Q closed his eyes, listening as his breaths evened out, and smiled softly before pulling away. He sat up and grabbed his glass, downing the water before quickly changing into his pyjamas. He looked down at Q, want to lay back down beside him. Instead, he slipped out of the room, walking down to sit on the couch with his head in his hands. He couldn't wait until they went back home.


	20. Chapter 20

The Quartermaster awoke the next morning as the sun shined in through the windows of his childhood bedroom. He sat up, immediately regretting it. His head was pounding and he didn't notice Bond sitting at his desk until he chuckled softly.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," the agent said as he stood, handing Q a glass of water and a few pills. "How do you feel?" He grinned.

"Like hell," he groaned softly before taking the pills, swallowing them down with some water. "How drunk was I?"

James shrugged. "I'm not sure what you're looking for: you screaming to your parents that we were home last night or…" He paused, smirking as he met Q's eyes. "You begging me to fuck you in the club's bathroom. How much do you remember?"

"Oh, god." Q leaned forward with his head in his hands. "I don't remember anything after you sucking me off. What else did I do?"

"Nothing bad," the agent replied, shaking his head with a small smile. "You should probably shower. Your mum's had breakfast out for a while."

Q groaned again as he slowly got up out of bed. He grabbed his glasses and slid them on before looking down at himself. He blushed brightly when he saw that he was still wearing the lacy panties.

James grinned wickedly at the Quartermaster. "What, did you forget?" He hummed, pretending to remember something. "Oh! One thing from last night. You did say you were going to buy more of those." He tossed Q a robe.

"Of course I did," Q sighed as he pulled on the robe. "I'm going to shower."

"I still think it's a good idea!" James smirked as he followed him out of the room, heading downstairs to make some more coffee.

While the Quartermaster took his time in the shower, Bond sat in the kitchen and waited for him to return. He sipped his coffee as he stared absentmindedly out the window. He hadn't realized, when he had been handed the tickets and gotten his first glance at Q's childhood home's address, that it was so close to his own. Skyfall was hardly an hours drive away, and he had avoided putting any real thought into that until now. After what had happened not too long ago, Silva and the entire mess he had brought with him that had resulted in M's death... Well, he didn't think about it often. But being so nearby, and with Q showing him so much of his family life, made James want to share even this small part of his life. As he looked out at the beautiful day, he became more and more convinced that he wanted to at least try. He looked up when Q entered, smiling at his fresh appearance. "Feeling better?"

"I guess so," Q replied with a shrug as he went to pour himself some coffee.

James walked up behind him, wrapping his arm around Q's waist. "Stop being grumpy. It's too beautiful of a day." He began to hum softly.

"I'm not grumpy, I'm hungover." Q sipped his coffee and leaned back against him.

James kissed the side of Q's head, humming and starting to rock them slightly to the tune. "Well, who's fault is that?" He began to kiss down Q's neck.

Q closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh before pulling away. He downed the rest of his coffee and set his mug in the sink before going back up to the bathroom to look for more painkillers.

James looked out at the day again, deciding it was time to go back, especially if he could show Q a small part of him. He went upstairs, pausing in the doorway of the bathroom. "Do you want to go for a drive?"

Q swallowed some pills down with water before turning to him, rubbing his eyes. "Where?"

The agent glanced to the side for a moment before meeting Q's eyes. "Somewhere nearby. A place I haven't visited in awhile."

Q looked up at him with furrowed brows but soon nodded. "Okay. When… When did you want to go?"

"As soon as you're ready. I'll pack us some food." He turned abruptly and went to the kitchen.

Q watched him go with a quiet sigh, growing worried. Where was James taking him and why was it making him so quiet? The Quartermaster finished getting ready before going to put his shoes on.

James quickly bagged the food he had made and grabbed a blanket before putting his shoes on. He glanced up to see Q coming down the stairs. "Ready." He opened the door for him, going out to the car and getting into the driver's seat.

Q got in next to him and buckled up as James started the car, turning on the radio, and pulling out of the driveway. The more he thought about it, the more of an idea he had of where they were going. He just hoped James would be okay if his suspicions were right.

James smiled over at him a bit as he drove, rolling down the windows to enjoy the pleasant warmth and smell in the air. His smile grew as Q reached over and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. Soon, they were getting close. The agent frowned as he began to recognize the area. He knew that it would be hard and that it would bring back bad memories, but he could still feel his heart start to race almost out of his control as they neared.

Q noticed the change in his demeanor and furrowed his brows as he brought Bond's hand to his lips, kissing it softly. He knew exactly where they were going now.

James smiled at him tensely, trying to control his breathing and heartbeat. He managed to calm some, but he knew it wouldn't last. As they finally crested the hill to look into the valley that held the remains of his childhood home, Bond's breath caught in his throat. A vision flashed across his mind of it burning, the last night he had been there.

Q kept his eyes on James, worry evident in his features. "James, we… We don't have to do this if you're not ready."

James shook his head. "I'm okay," he clipped out as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the remains. "I… I know you know about this place, obviously, after what happened here. But… I wanted to bring you here, to show you where I grew up. Before my parents died." He tried to keep his mind clear, looking at Q instead of the ashy remains that were starting to be taken over by vegetation.

Q kept his eyes on James, reaching up to place his hand on his cheek and caressing it gently. "James, I know this means a lot to you, but it's okay if you're not ready."

"I'm fine," James murmured, calming a bit at Q's touch. "You know, it almost looks better like this than it did when I was young. Much more approachable." He inhaled through his nose, looking over the place. He could still see pieces of helicopter in the mess.

Q watched him closely, searching his face for any signs of distress. He bit his lip softly before letting out a quiet sigh. "Do you want to get out of the car?"

James nodded and stepped out of the car quickly. He walked forward to lean back against the hood of the car, his hands in his pockets. He looked over the place, wondering what would happen with it. If it would continue rotting there forever or if someone would build there again. He glanced over at Q as he came up beside him and an idea began in his mind, churning slowly.

The Quartermaster looked over the remains of the manor, wondering how it looked before Silva and the fire. He thought about James as a child, running through the halls, playing in the fields. It brought a small smile to his face as he looked up at him.

James smiled back at him, carefully tucking the thought away for later. "Would you like to go for a walk? I could show you the lake?" Where I almost died, he added in his head. "Or the church?" M… He didn't finish the thought. He fought a shiver and turned to smile at Q, holding his breath for a second so he didn't start hyperventilating.

Q nodded with a small smile and took his hand, subtly taking the older man's pulse to make sure that he was okay.

He felt Q's fingers curl around his wrist and huffed softly, but let him. He started to lead him out toward the lake, pointing out the tunnel that had led out of the house. Once they got to the lake James showed Q both of the areas he remembered from when he was young and where he had fallen through the ice. He still felt calm somehow, but maybe that was just because of Q.

Q kept hold of his hand as they walked, listening to James intently as he told him about his past. They continued walking until they had finally arrived at the chapel. He looked over the gravestones until he found Bond's parents and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

James followed Q's gaze, not saying anything at first. "I was young when they died. But from what I remember, we were happy." He took a moment to look at them before moving on. "This-" His voice faltered. "This was our chapel." He stared, unable to look away for a moment before unfreezing with a jerk. James started to move forward finally, tugging Q along with him. He froze in the doorway, panting with his mouth slightly open. His sight was taken by a vision of M standing there, bleeding out, Silva holding a gun to her head. His head felt hazy and he stumbled to a pew, falling into it. James could hear his name being called, but it seemed far away and quiet compared to his breathing.

Q rushed to his side, eyes wide with concern as he felt his watch buzz, an alert from the smart blood indicating Bond's rapid increase in heart rate. "James?!" He carefully took Bond's face in his hands, smoothing back his hair. "James… James, baby, look at me. Please… Just keep your eyes on me. I've got you," he murmured. "I've got you."

His vision slowly clears and James comes back to himself in a snap, gasping for air. He blinked fiercely, trying to clear his blurry sight and slowly calming his breath. He held eye contact with Q and concentrated on nothing else. James realized that his cheeks were wet, that he was shaking. He pulled back from Q sharply, wiping his cheeks with rough swipes of his hands.

Q watched him closely as he sat down next to him on the pew. He rubbed Bond's back gently, trying to help him calm down. He didn't say anything for a moment, not wanting to spook him. But as he continued to watch him, he let out a quiet sigh and whispered, "James?"

James didn't look at Q, though he relaxed further at his touch. His sides ached and his old bullet wound twinged in rhythm with his heart. A quake ran through his body, making him release a pained gasp. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'm sorry. This was a bad idea."

Q bit his lip as he stood, holding his hands out to him. "Come on. Let's get you back to the car."

James stood, hesitating. He turned and looked around the church, gasping in a quick breath and letting out a shuddering exhale. He felt better, in a way. Like he had been run over. Like something had been roughly ripped from his chest. But like something had released. He took another deep breath and turned back to Q. "I'm glad I came. I feel… Lighter. I needed…. Whatever that was."

Q nodded and gave his hand a gentle squeeze before slowly leading James back outside. "Are you going to be okay?"

James nodded as he walked alongside him. He wasn't better yet, but he had taken a step that he hadn't known he needed until today. "You want to eat?"

Q shook his head, keeping his focus on James as they returned to the car. "No, I'm fine. Do you?"

James shook his head, dismissive. "I can wait." He paused as they reached the car, looking back at the remains of what used to be his home. He'll come back one day, he decides. And if it was still there and empty, he'd buy it and build a home. Not a manor, just a home.

Q looked James over, taking his pulse once more. "Maybe I should drive back…"

He glanced at him, a smile on his lips. "As you wish." James pressed the keys into Q's hand and a kiss to his lips, trying to communicate that there was nothing to worry about. Q returned the kiss before the two of them got into the car. James noticed as Q looked him over one last time before heading back up the drive to the main road.

James relaxed, letting his thoughts wander for a good part of the drive until he suddenly recognized something and sat up. "Q, do you want to stay out a little longer? There's a park coming up where we can stop for lunch; there's a truly beautiful view. Take this left turn up ahead." He guided Q to the park.

When they had arrived, Q parked the car and got out, smiling softly at James. They gathered up their blanket and food before James led him to a nice area. "I used to come here, I don't remember who with, though. After my parents died, before I started on the path to… Any of this."

James spread the blanket out on the grass, setting the food down and slipping off his shoes. He sat, leaning back on his hands as he took in the view. He turned to look at Q as he sat down next to him, a soft feeling in his chest making James smile and hum on his exhale. "I'm glad we came out today."

Q smiled as he gazed back at him, glad that he had relaxed. "Thank you for taking me."

James leaned forward, taking one of Q's hands and playing with his fingers before lacing them with his own. "It was hard, but worth it."

"I'm glad you think so." Q nodded with a small smile as he looked down at their hands.

James smirked momentarily. "All my ideas are good ideas," he muttered, moving in to bump Q with his shoulder before getting out their sandwiches.

"Yeah…" He smiled a bit as the two of them began to eat. "This picnic was a good idea."

James quickly finished his sandwich before laying back on the blanket with a sigh. He let his eyes close against the sun's glare and relaxed, enjoying the feeling of the breeze in his hair and the sun on his skin. The only thing missing was Q in his arms.

Q set his sandwich aside with a smile, moving over to gently lay Bond's head in his lap. He ran his fingers through the older man's hair with a soft smile.

James looked up a Q and felt so calm, a fluttering emotion in his stomach that he didn't recognize. He reached up and traced Q's jawline. He loved the way he looked at him. James smiled as Q leaned down to peck his lips. He allowed his hand to slip back to stroke Q's neck and up into his curls as they kissed. Having this moment with Q was perfect. James felt so happy and content that he almost worried that something was about to go wrong, but he pushed that feeling away. Nothing could ruin this moment.

Q pulled back just a bit, brushing his nose against Bond's with a smile. He felt a tug on his heart as he looked down at James, and then it dawned on him. He was falling for him.

James was lost in Q's hazel eyes, his heart rate picking up, pupils dilating. He took a shuddering breath, suddenly wanting to be closer to him.

Q gently smoothed Bond's hair back as he kept his eyes on him, noticing the change. "Are you okay?"

James nodded, his mouth dry. He sat up and pulled Q close to him. He had only vaguely felt like this before, with… Vesper. But this. This felt stronger, purer. He didn't know what to make of it. He pressed a kiss to Q's lips and they both melted into it. James pulled Q closer to him and twisted as they fell back on the blanket so that Q wouldn't take the full brunt of their weight. He chuckled breathlessly as they laid next to each other.

Q laughed softly as he rolled over onto his stomach, leaning over James. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as soon as he realized what he was going to say. Neither of them were ready for that quite yet.

James leaned up and kissed him, pulling Q down on top of him. He quickly deepened the kiss, winding his hand into Q's curls and rolled on top of him. He nipped at Q's bottom lip before pulling back suddenly. "Will?"

Q looked up at him with flushed cheeks, panting softly as he reached up to run his fingers through the older man's hair. "Y-Yeah?"

James enjoyed Q's dazed state for a second before repeating. "Will?"

He looked up at him with furrowed brows. "What"

James grinned down at him, hesitating a second and thrilling at saying Q's real name. "/Billy/?"

Q raised a brow and hit Bond's chest lightly. "Call me that again and I'll make sure M puts you on desk duty for the rest of the month."

James pecked Q's lips quickly in apology. "You seemed a bit distracted. I was just trying to get your attention, Will."

Q bit his lip softly, feeling his cheeks heat up. "It's so weird to hear you call me by my real name."

James leaned down and kissed him deeply again, pulling Q's bottom lip into his mouth and soothing his tongue over it. He pulled back a bit. "I like it," he said with a grin. "Will."

Q grinned back up at him happily and nodded his head. "Yeah… So do I."

James cradled Q's head in his hands, using his fingertips to massage his scalp as he kissed him slowly, deeply. He felt so at peace there with him that he never wanted to move from that spot. He resolved to ask Q later what his full name was, but concentrated on what was important right then, mainly kissing Q until he was dazed and breathless again.

Bond sighed through his nose at the feeling of Q's hands as they moved up to his hair. He stroked the younger man's cheekbones with his thumb and moved his other hand down to trace Q's delicate-looking collarbones. He loved the feeling of Q's smooth skin beneath his fingers. He moved more on top of Q and carefully slid his leg between the Quartermaster's. He didn't know how much further Q wanted to take this because they were in public, but he was unable to stop trying to get closer to him.

Q pulled James down even closer so that their bodies were flush against each other as they continued to kiss. He didn't care where they were. He just wanted to be close to James.

James gasped as they came into full contact suddenly and moaned into Q's mouth, the kiss heating quickly. He tangled one hand further into Q's curls and dragged the other down across Q's chest, starting to stroke up and down his side.

Q hummed softly against Bond's lips at the feeling of his hands on his body, loving how close they were. He let out a soft, high-pitched moan as James began to rocking his hips against him, unable to stop. Q shivered as James slipped a hand under his shirt, stroking his hip and the dip of his stomach. James bit Q's bottom lip, tugging on it slightly before releasing it and working his way down Q's neck. Q tried to rock up against him for more friction, but forced himself to still as Bond began to work on the fastenings of his jeans.

James pulled Q out of his jeans and boxers, only pushing them down enough that they were out of the way, and started to stroke him, flicking his thumb over the head. He stopped, leaning back quickly so that he could pull himself out before covering Q with his body again. He returned his lips to Q's, kissing his deeply as he took both of their cocks in hand and thrusted against him. He shuddered at the feeling of Q's cock against his own, pulling away from Q's mouth to look down at them together. Using his thumb, he smeared slick precome around, making an easier glide against each other.

Q moaned softly as he tugged on Bond's hair, rocking against him. He leaned up, pressing his forehead to Bond's as he looked down between them, watching as James stroked them together. He glanced back up and looked into his blue eyes, his own pale cheeks flushed pink.

James met Q's gaze, panting slightly, and thrusted harder against him. He watched Q's reactions play across his face in awe. "Will..." He gasped, tightening his grip around them.

Q let out a soft whimper when he said his real name. "James…" He moaned softly.

James could feel Q's cock jerking in his grip and worked them faster, wanting to see Q cum. He tightened his grip on Q's hair, tugging on the hair at the nape of his neck.

Q leaned up and kissed him gently before tipping his head back with a moan. His back arched up off the ground as he released between them.

James moaned as Q's cum splashed between them, covering his hand and striping Q's stomach. He thrusted into his hand quickly, watching Q's expression twist in pleasure. James gasped as pleasure overtook him as well, coming with a moan of Q's name and dropping his head.

Q let his body relax as he looked up at the sky, gently running his fingers through Bond's short hair. Once again, he forced himself to hold back those three little words.

James rolled mostly off of Q, pillowing his head on Q's chest. He threw a hand out, searching for the napkins he had thoughtfully brought and wiping vaguely at their mess. He did what he could and tossed the napkin away from them before tucking them both back into their trousers. He decided that was enough movement for now and yawned softly.

Q leaned up a bit to press a gentle kiss to the top of Bond's head as he watched the sun begin to set on the horizon. "We should head back soon…"

James sighed deeply as he realized that Q was right. "Yeah…" He leaned up on one elbow, looking down at him before pressing a kiss to his lips. He pulled back and sat up, moving to clean up their garbage as Q got to his feet and began to help.

Once their picnic was all cleaned up, the two of them went back to the car and got in. James sat in the passenger's seat as he reached over and took Q's hand to hold while they made their way back to Q's parents' house. Q glanced over at him often as he drove, not able to keep his eyes off him for some reason.

James smiled at him bemusedly. "Have I got something on my face?" He grinned, leaning over to kiss Q's cheek.

"No…" Q murmured with a small smile as he continued to drive. "I just… I keep thinking I'll wake up and this will all have been a dream."

James looked at him steadily for a moment, then a mischievous flits across his face. He quickly reached in and pinched Q's side.

Q flinched away from him with a soft gasp. "James! Don't do that while I'm driving! You'll get us both killed."

James held his hands up in surrender, chuckling softly. "I was just letting you know it's not a dream." He blinked innocently.

"Oh, shut up," he said with a roll of his eyes as he nudged James with his elbow.

James smiled and took his hand again, bringing it to his lips and kissing each knuckle. "As you wish." He continued to hold Q's hand, smiling at the blush that had formed on the Quartermaster's pale cheeks. When they had finally returned, it was quite dark out. They went in quietly and James went to take care of their garbage.

The two of them went up to Q's room to get changed for bed. James grabbed his pyjamas off the bed and kissed Q's cheek. "I'm going to take a shower quick. I'll come say goodnight when I'm done. Unless you want to join me?" He winked and walked out to the bathroom.

Q rolled his eyes at him with a soft smile and grabbed his clothes before following him. "We'll have to be quiet. I doubt my parents would approve."

James smiled as he stripped off his shirt and trousers, turning to start up the water. "Of course we'll be quiet. I was only offering because it'll conserve water." He smirked, still facing away from him.

"Well, it's not like I was suggesting anything, either," he replied as he undressed as well.

James straightened his face before turning back to Q, his eyes roaming over the Quartermaster's body. "And if I were to suggest something?" He managed to keep his tone blasé, but his lips twisted a bit in a grin at the end.

Q raised a brow at him. "I'd say I'm beginning to think you're a sex addict and we'd have to be even quieter."

James stepped closer to him and kiss him gently. ""Is it really a surprise that I would become addicted to you?" He pulled back, stepping under the spray with a grin and getting his hair wet.

Q licked his lips and finished undressing before stepping in behind him. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around the older man's waist, pressing light kisses to his neck before letting go, grabbing the bottle of shampoo. He stepped under the stream to get his hair wet before beginning to scrub the shampoo into his hair.

James washed quickly, snickering to himself as he tried to keep out of Q's way. He got an idea. Brushing Q's hands out of the way, he sank his fingers into the soapy curls, massaging Q's scalp softly. He continued the massage to Q's neck, supporting Q's head as he tipped it to either side to get better access to his neck. He smiled as Q went limp in his arms, relaxed, and carefully tilted the younger man's head back to rinse out the suds. Once the shampoo was gone from Q's hair, James pulled him close and kissed his cheeks before moving to shampoo his own hair.

Q blinked a few times as James stepped away from him and took a moment to look him over. His eyes trailed over Bond's body as he reached over for the soap. He licked his lips subconsciously as the soap slipped from his hand.

James smirked at Q and slowly ran his hand across his chest. Biting his lip, James gracefully slipped to his knees in front of Q and picked up the soap. He held it out to him, keeping eye contact with Q despite the reaction happening a few inches from his face. "Dropped something," he said, keeping his voice low and throaty. He did nothing else, leaving his move to Q's interpretation.

"I… Uh… Thanks," Q breathed out shakily as he took the soap, his fingers brushing against Bond's.

James paused there a moment longer, teasing, and then stood. He rinsed one last time before stepping out and drying off quickly. He got dressed and turned to look at Q, who was still flushed and disoriented from his sudden departure. "Don't have too much fun without me," he said, ducking out quickly with a grin before heading back to Q's bedroom.

Q blinked and shook his head, swearing under his breath when he looked down at himself. He tried to ignore his erection, but eventually gave in and began to stroke himself. Once he had finished, Q turned off the water and got out, dressing before going to his bedroom, where he found James sprawled on his bed.

James sat up as Q entered, taking in his heavy-lidded eyes and flushed cheeks. "Oh, you /did/ have fun," he smirked.

"No thanks to you." Q rolled his eyes as he laid next to him. "I really hate you sometimes."

James gathered Q in his arms, pressing a kiss to his curls. "No, you don't." He grinned happily.

Q smiled and buried his face in Bond's neck with a soft hum. "Will you stay here tonight?"

James sighed, conflicted. He wanted to, he hated sleeping downstairs, but he still didn't like the idea of disobeying Q's parents' wishes while they were in their house. "I want to. But…" He didn't move, resting his chin on top of Q's head.

Q sighed knowingly. "If they don't like it, I'll just tell them I had another nightmare."

James snuggled a bit closer, considering. "I… Guess that would work." He wrapped his arms tighter around him.

Q nodded and gripped Bond's shirt in his hand. "It's not a complete lie. I just… I'm not ready to be alone."

James pressed a kiss to his forehead, pulling back to see Q's face. "I hate leaving you alone. I've never slept better than by your side." He gently kissed Q's lips and moved to pull the covers over them.

Q returned the kiss gently before curling up next to him again and whispering, "I feel safer with you."

James inhaled deeply, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. "I feel safe with you, too. Before you, I wasn't able to sleep without a gun in my hand. You help me be better." He blinked hard, tucking his chin on top Q's head again, feeling so full of emotion.

Q smiled and exhaled shakily. Bond's words mean a lot to him. Q sniffled softly as his eyes began to fill with tears.

James stroked Q's hair soothingly, pulling back to see him. "Hey, hon, it's okay. Shh…" He used his thumb to wipe Q's cheeks and leaned in to kiss his forehead.

Q sniffled again and wiped his eyes. "I… I'm sorry… God, I'm such a mess."

James pressed little kisses all over Q's face, trying to make him smile. "You're fine. You're wonderful."

Q smiled a bit and leaned up to peck Bond's lips. "You're too good to me."

"You deserve it," James whispered, tracing Q's jawline with his thumb as he looked into his eyes. The situation felt so charged and intimate, even though there was nothing sexual about it.

Q looked up at him, enjoying his gentle touch. He moved to wrap his arm around him tightly as he closed his eyes. He stayed curled up against him, their legs tangled together, and drifted off.


End file.
